Patient Experience
As an 82-year-old with severe dental anxiety from wartime experiences, I avoided dentists for decades. My dentures were failing, and I was resigned to soft foods forever. Dr. Ayşe Selçuk Bayram didn't just see broken teeth—she saw my fear. She spent our first consultation just talking, explaining each step in gentle Turkish. The full-mouth reconstruction at Acibadem Altunizade was done under sedation. I remember nothing but waking to her saying 'Bitti, amca' (It's finished, uncle). Now I can eat simit again. Her hands are steady, but her heart is steadier.
Our 7-year-old daughter developed a complex dental abscess that spread overnight. The emergency team at Acibadem Altunizade called Dr. Bayram at 11 PM. She arrived in 20 minutes, still in casual clothes, and immediately calmed our panic with a quiet joke about 'tooth dragons.' The surgery involved draining the infection and saving two permanent teeth that other dentists said would need extraction. She used a special pediatric scope with cartoon characters projected on the ceiling. Two weeks later at follow-up, my daughter brought her a drawing titled 'My Tooth Fairy Doctor.' Dr. Bayram taped it to her cabinet.
I'm a professional wind instrument player—my teeth are my livelihood. After a bicycle accident, my front teeth were fractured in a way that affected my embouchure. Multiple dentists offered standard crowns that would have ended my career. Dr. Bayram proposed a radical micro-restoration using layered composite that replicated the exact thickness and edge of my original teeth. She had me bring my clarinet to three appointments, testing the feel between layers. The result is invisible and perfect. She didn't just fix teeth; she preserved my life's work with the precision of a master craftswoman.
What started as a routine cleaning revealed a hidden odontogenic keratocyst in my jaw—a rare, aggressive growth. Dr. Bayram's approach was methodical: first a 3D scan at the hospital's imaging center, then a collaborative plan with their oncology team, though thankfully it was benign. The surgery required removing the cyst while preserving the nerve canal. Her post-op protocol was meticulous: daily WhatsApp check-ins for two weeks, custom-fit irrigation syringes, even recommending specific pillow heights. At my six-month follow-up, the regeneration was complete. She treats the whole person, not just the hole in the bone.