So, the past few weeks have been pretty busy. I traveled back to Chicago for some dental work. The week after I was in Santa Clara for work and this week I had to travel back to Chicago to finish up my dental work that I’ve been putting off for so long…almost 2 years!
It feels so good to finally have a “normal” mouth. When I was in junior high, I was riding my friend on my bike (he now plays in the NFL) and we ended up falling off of the bike and he landed on my head. So, I stood up and tried to talk and notice a huge whistle! I looked on the ground and saw my tooth and root sitting in the road and started to freak out. So, I went to the dentist and he ended up putting the tooth back in my head and it was fine…..up until about 2 years ago. Mind you, this is my front right tooth so VERY noticeable.
It started to hurt so I figured I better go to the dentist and get it checked out. Come to find out, it needed to be extracted because it was ready to crack off at any point which would cause many more issues if this happened. So, I had the tooth extracted a couple of years ago. I then decided to move to Phoenix right in the middle of all of this (so glad I did because now I’m marrying the woman of my dreams) but I had already paid for the entire procedure ($12,000) so I knew that I would have to go back to Chicago to get everything taken care of unless I wanted to pay again! So, for about 1 1/2 years I totally put it off and finally realized that if I want to smile at my wedding…I better get moving. So, the past 2 months have been quite hectic.
I went back in August of 2007 to get the implant put in and all went well. After that, I had to let it sit for 3-6 months for the implant to grow in the bone. During this time I had to wear what they call a dental flipper which is a fake tooth that acts just like a retainer. I was a 29 year old using Fixodent on a daily basis. Talk about embarrassment…walking into Target or Walgreens to get yourself Fixodent! I felt stupid to say the least.
So, the dental implant grew back in the bone and I went back in February 2008 to get some work on the implant and to get 2 temporary porcelain crowns. I then booked airfare and headed back on March 10th for my final appointment! Well almost, I do have one more follow up just to make sure everything is okay. Just yesterday I got my permanent crowns and I’m back home and done with this excruciating process. I do have to say that it wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be. Actually, the tooth extraction was the least pain and the dentist actually putting on the permanent crowns was the most uncomfortable but hey, it’s DONE!
Before this whole process started, I really couldn’t find a good resource to learn about it so if you are in the same boat as I was, I know how you are feeling. Shoot me an email and I’d be happy to let you know the ins and outs of getting a dental implant, bone grafting, porcelain crowns and all kinds of other fun dental procedures and I can also recommend a great dentist in the Chicago area if you are in the Midwest.
March 17th, 2008 at 2:03 am
does the temporary fake tooth on the retainer look the slightest bit real
March 17th, 2008 at 3:55 am
It surprisingly looks pretty good. The only thing is getting use to how it feels. People had no idea that I wore it. It will take a few days to get use to talking with it but once you get past that, you are in the clear. Do you have to wear a flipper?
April 7th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I have to have my two front teeth extracted and implants placed. I will have to wear a “flipper” to replace my two front teeth until the implants heal and permanent crowns can be placed. I am very nervous about this whole procedure. Will it hurt? Did you have local or IV anesthesia? Will anyone know that my two front teeth are not real until I get permanent crowns? Any inofrmation you can give will be most appreciated. I am very anxious!!!!
Donna
April 8th, 2008 at 1:50 am
Hi Donna,
Seriously, it does seem like a huge ordeal but they make it as painless as possible these days with the latest dental technology. I’m not saying there won’t be any discomfort but I really didn’t experience much pain at all. Most of the pain was from the usual poking of the gums. When they extracted my tooth they asked if I wanted to be put under and I said no so they only numbed me up. That’s all. If you can stand someone pulling on your face for a bit, you can handle it just like I did. If the grinding and drilling bothers you, then you might want to get something more.
No one could tell that my front tooth was a dental flipper at all. It actually looked just as good as my final crown that I have now. The only bad thing about a flipper is the way it feels but you will get use to it. I did have to use fixodent every morning so it would stay in place because it does loosen up due to eating and biting down on it. A dentist can adjust it for you if it gets too loose or you can use the fixodent like I did. Whatever you do, don’t try and adjust it yourself. They metal clips can break off and it could be a costly mistake.
You will definitely get use to the way everything feels. I was to the point where I didn’t want to go and get the next “step” of the procedure done because I got use to how the dental flipper fit in my mouth.
Let me know if you have any more questions and I’ll answer them the best I can. Good luck.
Mike
April 19th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Thank you Mike, for taking the time to respond. I am having my teeth extracted and the implants placed on May 1st. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Donna
April 19th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Yes…definitely let me know how the procedure goes. Just remember, it will feel weird for a few days but you will get use to it and it will be fine.
Mike
May 15th, 2008 at 3:14 am
Hi Mike,
How soon after the extraction and bone graft did you go back to work. I will be having my 2 front teeth extracted and will need grafting too. I am worried about the pain and swelling. How much did you experience and when did you feel somewhat ok after that first procedure.
Thank you, Sam