33 Years Old, and Getting All on 4 in Vegas

March 18, 2018

Ik this is old and not sure how far you are but are you happy , do they feel good was it really hard to adjust ? Did they feel huge or overly bulky and like wth is in my mouth

March 18, 2018

Honestly it took no time to adjust, they felt natural from the beginning which I credit my dentist with. I was terrified going in but I can honestly say itnwas the best decision I ever made for myself

March 19, 2018

I just broke down at my kids party, I'm so scared and put my self through so much already since Xmas and have lost like so much weight and am dysfunctional, it's dentures or this , I keep telling myself just go to golpa and it will be ok but I have so many worries .. like pain , function, they will be to big , I will obsess all day , I will freak out during surgery , after , probably getting teeth put in and be like what's this in my mouth , I have a narrow palate , overbite and worried my tongue and brain will go crazy from the bulky ledge etc . You seemed like you had some issues but it didn't make you crazy

March 19, 2018

I did for the first few weeks, mostly swelling and a lisp. My swelling wasn't completely gone for about a month but the teeth from day 1 never felt big or bulky. I lost 25 lbs in the months before doing this basically infection after infection and just pain when eating. Something had to give, I was a total mess leading up to it and honestly I had moments of being a mess right after. I'm not sure anything prepares you for the mental impact loosing your teeth at a young age makes, but honestly I realized very quickly that all these small things that happened after my procedure (the lisp, the swelling ect..) were nothing in comparison to the hell I had been living in for 20 years (i honestly cant even remember not having problamatic teeth so probably longer) I never realized before all this just how much my self esteem suffered along with my help, this has been life changing for my confidence as well

March 19, 2018

How weird is the eating I hear you don't feel food and I'm not even sure exactly what to think about that , are there things you don't or can't eat , has anything broke , as the gums healed and shrunk did it get uncomfortable, I heard mouth guard hockey puck or plsticky , thanks also for responding

March 19, 2018

Eating was a little strange at first, but I adapted amazingly fast. You can't feel food on your teeth obviously but it's still touches your gums and you feel that so honestly it's not that different than before. Ooh boy I can eat a little too well now lol I was told to bot eat anything hard for 6 weeks (my bones were a little soft from all the infections so I had to go a little easy during the initial healing) but now I eat whatever I want without any problems. I don't even notice them now, it's honestly amazing what your mouth adapts to rapidly. I do remember that for maybe the first 2 months at the end of the night my mouth almost felt tired if that makes sense like it was held in this position all day and was tired, not painful in any way but like the muscles were tired. I can honestly say I never felt like my mouth was full of plastic or a mouth guard even from the gate. But that could be more so on the skill level of your dentist making the for you

March 19, 2018

You went to golpa in vegas ? It sounds like you had no major issues, and one if the few that had no pain , what would you describe about the swelling and tightness . Is it like your swollen and you can't swallow or I gong even know how to describe what to ask

March 19, 2018

Yes I went to golpa, for me it's only a 4 hour drive. The swelling more so was in my upper lip to smile line area and it felt like smiling was akward a bit chipmunk since my smile line area was puffy so the normal lines weren't there. It was unpleasant but not painful by any means, almost like having a fat lip. None of my swelling felt like it was on the inside of my mouth. I did bruise pretty gnarly ( I am also anemic however) so I had a pretty black and green bruise that developed a few days after from my lip down to about the middle of my throat that took about 2 1/2 weeks to fade away. I was also bruised on the inside of my lips pretty bad. I hear about heaps of people bot getting any bruising so maybe it was more so the anemia. But again it still didn't hurt. Looked much worse than it felt.

March 19, 2018

What does the soft diet consist of exactly, I'm waiting at a dr appointment now to be checked as I have lost like 25 pounds as well and feel like crap everyday and full of anxiety and self diagnosing myself . Did you become unfunctional up until getting this done and then bounced back ? It's like I lost my appetite and all I do is lay in bed and freak out a lot

March 19, 2018

It wasn't really a soft diet, they basically said no nuts, Ice, apples, just no very crunchy things. Anything else I could have no problem. I was totally unfunctional, things got pretty bad. I wasnt eating and also lost a good chunk of weight, I wasn't sleeping well, just full of anxiety. Afterwards i had alot nerves over whether things were healing correctly and the swelling seemed to take forever to completely resolve but I was eating normal within the first 2weeks, but honestly I think I could have eaten normally right away, it was my own fears that made me hesitate and did not eat much for 2 weeks after then started getting back to normal.

March 19, 2018

I got to say you sound a lot like me and it's good to hear this as no other people on here or elsewhere tell it like this , so it sounds like you were in a really bad way and just said I'm gonna jump and hope for the best and it was rough at first more emotionally but now it's like no big deal and you love your smile is a plus

March 19, 2018

How long before you went to work

March 19, 2018

It's true, and I did the same thing as you, which is how I came across this site. I was scouring the internet for info because it's the only thing I could think about. I had to do something, I had put it off for far too long and decided to take the plunge even though it's expensive (at least for me it was a ton of money) but i really believe it was the best choice incould have made for myself

March 19, 2018

There is also a girl on youtube that goes by kailnjax that was super helpful in this for me. She was in her 20's and lost her teeth and was in dentures but then eventually moved on to the all on 4 at Dr golpa office and her videos explain a ton if stuff for either route you choose. I ended up touching base with her and converse from time to time.

March 19, 2018

I took two weeks off as a precaution. I could realistically have went back to work after a few days but I'm glad I took the time only because it gave the swelling and bruising more time to resolve. Although I was still somewhat bruised and swollen and bruised it was alot less noticeable by that point.

March 19, 2018

Did you have to sit with ice on your face in bed for a week , were u able to go back to work after ? Any problems with the teeth , and lastly did or do you worry about them lasting for the rest of your life

March 19, 2018

I did don some icing, although in hind site I probably should have done more. I really didn't stay in bed either, I honestly felt fine and still had kids to take care of so I returned to normal pretty quick. I do worry from time to time, but Dr golpa guantees the implants for life so there is definate comfort in that and I take my cleaning ritual very seriously.

March 19, 2018

Ask questions anytime! I have this connected to my cell, I know when I was in the process I was dying for people to ask questions so i try to be open for people going through it now

March 19, 2018

It's weird how no pain for some then some day was painful and needed not o round the clock

March 19, 2018

I have heard pain horror stories from clear choice dental but I have no experience with then so I couldn't say, I have met a few people along the way who used golpa like I did and many had minimal-mild discomfort and some had none like me. I literally took no pain pills (they did give then to me just in case but they werent needed) i must give credit where credit is due....golpa knows what he is doing. Not that everything is perfect and seamless but over all I think the people who used him have a better experience

March 19, 2018

It was even bizarre to me how pain free the experience was, like I kept waiting for the pain to set in but it never came. There was some stiffness but that's about it

March 19, 2018

I have a bad overbite and have teeth at gum line and my front teeth come over the bottom and haven't had a actual real bite in forever so I'm also worried about going to a complete set of teeth with a correct bite that it will feel and be huge in my mouth or my facial change will be crazy

March 19, 2018

I had about 18 teeth left and about 8 of those were at gum line, it did change my facial structure but only ever so slightly. I could see it slightly but even my husband swore he couldn't. I felt like it gave me a hint more fullness to the cheeks if that makes sense but nobody else seemed to be able to tell

maribelp

May 7, 2018

Absolutely beautiful. How are you doing now. Do they feel more like your own. How is the cleaning process. Do they feel bulky, is there much of a gap between the denture and your gum? I am considering this procedure but do not know what to expect. I had all my teeth extracted and wearing an over denture with 3 implants on bottom and a full denture on top which I hate. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

May 7, 2018

It has been about a year and a half and it's the best thing I could have ever done for myself. They feel completely as my own. I can tell when something is in my teeth. Mine sit very snug to gums. Cleaning is really no big deal, it felt like a lot at first but I got into the groove very quickly and now it goes much faster. I absolutely love mine. I dont regret it even for a minute so far.

maribelp

May 8, 2018

Thank you so much for getting back to me. It makes me feel more confident about doing this procedure knowing that it can work out well for me as it did for you. I am very happy for you that you are completely satisfied with your results. I believe Dr. Golpa is the man for this job. I am hoping I can get there soon and end my misery and unhappiness. I am really praying that all will go as well as it did for you. Thank you again for your uplifting words. Enjoy every minute of it. We all deserve to be happy and smile a lot!!! Regards, Maribel.

May 8, 2018

I believe this was the best possible option for me. Nothing replaces natural teeth but unfortunately that isn't always an option to keep them and I think this is probably the next best thing. I know some people had a longer adjustment period than I did. I felt really very good within about a month. I had some prolonged swelling and significant bruising but I actually felt great! (Just looked rough) I was eating normally and everything after those first few weeks. I think for me i held myself back more than I needed to or it would have been even faster :) hope this helps and your smiling very soon!

maribelp

May 8, 2018

I am hoping my procedure goes well since I have all my teeth extracted already. I will be needing the implants on top and bridge. As far as the bottom goes I do not know if the 3 implants I now have will be any good for this procedure. I will call their office and ask all these questions. As far as bruising and swelling I already had my share when I had 14 extractions, bone grafting, some bone cutting (to be able to fit dentures) on lower jaw. I did not go out for about 1 month, that is how bad I looked. Already spent lots of money and have not gotten the expected results. I am hoping that this will be my last stop with a happy ending. Thank you for taking the time out to reply to my concerns.

UPDATED FROM tristansmommy

27 days post

1 month post

tristansmommyDecember 5, 2016

Well tomorrow marks 1 month since my all on 4. Overall things are pretty good. I have some gapping starting to form already between my gums and top bridge with creates bubbles and that's super irritating because it makes the bubble sound sometimes when I am talking and that's pretty awkward when I sit face to face and talk to strangers every day at work so I am hoping to get that sorted out sooner rather than later. I still haven't really tried to eat anything that wasn't soft, I am paranoid of over stressing my implants too soon. I still have some stiffness happening in the upper lip/under nose area and a very small amount in the front of my chin, although much better than before, the stiffness just started relaxing in the last week. I am really beginning to feel like an old pro when it comes to waterpik'ing and flossing now! I admit though the cleaning is a little more awkward and bothersome than I anticipated, for instance my husband took me out to dinner and then wanted to go to a movie but I insisted I had to go straight home and clean my teeth instead :( Maybe I am over doing it but I worry about leaving anything on them for any length of time....anyone have any experience here?? I do have very high remarks for Dr. Golpa so far because the teeth look very nice and I have never felt any real pain. The office staff is very nice I have to admit though I have called their office on a few occasions with questions and they were supposed to ask the doctor and get back to me and I eventually have to call them back 3 or 4 days later and they appear to have totally forgotten me which is frustrating for the kind of money you hand over having all this done.

Replies (5)

KRM53

December 8, 2016

Hi! I love your new photos! So beautiful! :)
It sounds like things are going pretty smoothly but I understand some of your frustration because I felt a lot of the same feelings during the first 2-3 months. Thankfully, most of my talking is to my grandchildren who don't care a bit about how I sound because they are young. Strangers are still awkward for me but that was the case before when I didn't have many teeth. Don't know if I'll ever get over that feeling. Those first couple of months I felt like I lisped, spit, drooled or had numerous other mouth issues every time I opened my mouth. I was very self conscious and really had to work on getting over it. It wasn't easy. I didn't know how to smile, I would get lipstick on my teeth and I always felt like I had food stuck to my teeth. I carried the small rechargeable waterpik with me everywhere. I also carried a bottle of water and an end tuft toothbrush. If I had easy access to my car I didn't necessarily carry those things in a big purse but I admit that I used them every time I ate something. I also had a mirror in my purse so I could check my teeth. And sometimes I used the camera function on my phone. Self conscious - big time!
I think what you are feeling about the cleaning is perfectly normal. I used my waterpik at home 4-5 times a day and flossed as often as I could (I couldn't floss the top because they were too tight). I did eat steak and other types of food that weren't really soft starting at about 6 weeks but I avoided nuts, chips, hard candies, etc. After my first checkup and reline at 4 months I noticed I was becoming less self conscious (at least about the cleaning). I relaxed about it partly because they said the implants were integrating into my bone and that they looked pretty good as far as cleaning went. Now I'm able to floss every area and I’ve settled into a good cleansing routine. I don't feel the need to waterpik as often (although I like how clean it makes my mouth feel). I do a very thorough cleaning before bed which makes my morning routine go faster and I still carry my portable waterpik when I'm going to be somewhere like a long dinner or at a party and if possible I excuse myself after eating to go do a short cleaning in the restroom. It’s usually not necessary but I feel better if I at least go look in a big mirror and rinse my mouth. Swishing and rinsing with water after meals and snacks while you are away from home seems to be what most people do. And I haven't heard of them having issues with plaque build up as long as you clean them throughly when you get home.  Also, once you have your first checkup and reline to close most of the gaps, you should notice you aren't collecting as much food particles under the bridges. And the bubbles should stop when the gaps aren’t as big. I know they suggest 6 months but I went at 4 months and they were fine with me coming in early. If it’s not too expensive for you to get there, I would make an appointment to go back even earlier and have them take care of the issues you have.
As far as the office staff goes there really isn't any excuse for that. I know they are a busy office but they shouldn't forget you. Mention it to whoever you feel most comfortable dealing with at the office. The only time I had an issue was when I spoke to one of the nurses. She had no clue who I was and gave me just generic information on an issue. If she had taken time to look in my chart I would have gotten a more satisfactory answer to my issue. After that I started asking for someone who actually knows who I am and I've not had a problem since then.
Anyway good luck on your continued adventure with new teeth. It is an ongoing journey, one that we'll be dealing with for the rest of our lives. But I can truthfully say that at 9 months post procedure having new teeth is such a normal part of my life that I don't think about them much of the day. Looking forward to more updates from you when time permits! K :)

December 8, 2016

Yes this is definitely a journey and mine has only just begun lol I'm sure there are a lot of things that will become more "normal" for me over time. I still haven't really learned how to smile and feel very awkward smiling in front of people. I do like the teeth, but already at 1 month post I feel like there are some fit issues, but maybe that is normal. I have gaps forming in a couple spots and the top bridge feels like its too wide now in the back molar area especially on the left side if that makes sense. I am hoping when I go for my 6 month checkup they can fix the fit issues I'm having.
The cleaning during the weekdays at lunchtime is the tough part for me since where I work we don't have a private bathroom, so trying to find a quite moment in the bathroom to waterpik in private is a nightmare since people are constantly in and out and I don't really want people watch me lol. I always do a really good cleaning every morning after breakfast and every night before bed and just do the best I can during the day and on weekends its much easier. I have to admit I didn't realize going in to this that dinner and movie date nights with my husband means taking a waterpik along and finding a quite restroom to clean in lol but you gotta do what you gotta do.
I am still lisping quite a lot, I think the fit issues have actually made the lisp worse along with the bubble sounds I now make lol so again I am really hoping this can all be addressed with adjustments. I don't really mind when I am home with husband or kids but when I am working with my co-workers and when talking o strangers at work (which I do daily) it makes me really self conscious.
I am excited for crunchy food! It has been years since I have even eaten potato chips lol I had crappy teeth that hurt when I ate them so I just quit, so now I am looking forward to my implants integrating and being able to have stuff like that again. I would kill for a steak lol I haven't even attempted anything like that yet as I am only 4 weeks post and really paranoid about disrupting anything. I have pretty much only had very soft food since my procedure. I haven't even really eaten anything that required much chewing at all, I drink lots of Atkins shakes lol and have well done pastas and yogurts and fish... things like that. So I will be happy to get back to some sort a normal diet, on the bright side I have lost 16lbs lol (although I was already slender) I have probably been overly cautious but I get really nervous about making things go wrong.
Overall I think things are going ok, I fell like all this is probably normal for where I am at in the process. I still have some stiffness in my upper lip area but its slowly subsiding, all 4 implants on top are now starting to peek out (I ended up with 5 implants on bottom as Dr. Golpa said my bone was soft) but so far I cant see any of those. Your teeth look beautiful and suit you so well! I cant wait to get to where your at with it! Right now my teeth are still what I think of all day.

gggsss

December 20, 2016

Was it worth it?? Would you do it again

December 20, 2016

Yes, I would do it again. I think most people in my situation would. Its not your natural teeth by any means but I do think when it comes a time that you cannot keep your natural teeth any longer this is likely the next best thing besides individual implants for every tooth (if you have 75k+ laying around). It does have its annoyances and inconveniences absolutely so its important I think to keep realistic expectations.

Hedgeman1

December 8, 2016

When you go in for your reline the gap will be handled. I went through the same. Now no lisp or bubbles. Talk normal chew awesome. You look good!

December 8, 2016

Thank you! I will be happy to have the bubbles and speech worked out! Its a minor thing but can be quite embarrassing

Katrina1993

January 10, 2017

Thank you soooo much for sharing your story, It has helped me out greatly. Pardon me if you already answered this but your teeth are so wonderful and natural looking. Did the dentist use acrylic or zirconia

January 10, 2017

Acrylic, and they are great, but I do hear the zirconia are even better! I am just really starting out as well on this whole ride as its only been just over 2 months for me. It definately got better after the initial swelling and bruising subsided. I stayed slightly swollen for about a month!

Katrina1993

March 8, 2017

Thank you so much for the reply.

petro1234

March 15, 2017

Hello! How are you feeling now? I have followed your journey from the begginning and just wondering how are you doing now ? Have you been back for adjustments yet?

March 17, 2017

I am feeling great! The first month is a little rough, not because of pain but more so because you are experiencing all these new things and everything is a bit uncomfortable. I was swollen for almost a month and bruised for several weeks. I am now finally eating everything I want (which is something I cannot recall ever being able to do), things feel so normal now. This is honestly the best possible thing I could have done for myself. It's not your real teeth but I really believe its basically as close as you can get without individual implants and a huge bank account to afford them. I go back for adjustments in about a month so I am actually looking forward to that, mostly for confirmation that all implants have successfully fused. Cleaning can be a little tedious but honestly you get used to it. I feel like I must have one of the cleanest mouths around after cleaning so much lol. Typically I floss twice daily, waterpik anytime I eat or drink anything other than water, brush 2-3 times a day (depending, I am an ice tea and coffee drinker so I tend to brush after that as well because I worry about staining) and I use mouth wash twice daily. I usually do a very thorough cleaning morning and night and just water pik and brush in between as needed. The detailed cleaning used to take 20-25 minutes and its probably cut in half now as I have it down to a real science lol. The best part is I actually smile at people and in pictures!!! I have never in my life done that! I never realized just how much my confidence held me back until I had this done, I feel so much more open talking to people and not afraid they will see my teeth!

petro1234

March 17, 2017

Thank you so much for your response! It will be 2 weeks on Tuesday for me( as well with dr Golpa) . I am in the rough stage now : ),looking forward to where you are! : )

March 18, 2017

How are you feeling so far? Any bruising or swelling? The first month was definitely the worst for me, just so many new experiences and for me the swelling made things just feel so out of sorts but I can assure you it gets so much better!

petro1234

March 19, 2017

Thank you for asking! Feeling ok considering, I still have swelling on my upper part so my nose is still kind of numb and my face It's not back to normal me yet( my upper lip stays kind of raised and I my mouth stay open so I have to remember to close it : /) . Not sure , I think it's normal... I bruised under my eyes a little and a big bruise on my right down on my neck, but it's almost gone!
Did you experience throbbing where the implants are?! My lower bridge still feels quite snug. Which toothbrush do you use and how about the gel?
Thank you !

March 19, 2017

Yes, my upper lip was the last place for the swelling to go down. I had some throbbing in my chin are, I ended up with an extra implant there (dr golpa said my bone was soft there) so I had throbbing there off and on for probably about a month maybe a little longer. I found that for the first probably 6 weeks there are lots of odd sensations happening . I called the office a ton in the first weeks with questions lol. This website helped me alot to, slowly but steadily everything settled down and now it's all 2nd nature. I think if they aren't causin actual pain and the feeling isn't constant it's probably just normal healing but if your concerned call the office (they are totally expecting your questions) what you went through is actually a huge thing and there is bound to be some questions regarding it. They just told me to use a gel only toothpaste so I have been trying out different ones over the last few months, right now I am liking AIM but I have switched them up alot. Just make sure it's gel only, you don't want anything abbrasive. I am currently using a rotadent toothbrush morning g and night, and just a soft bristled generic toothbrush during the day for quick brushings.

April 4, 2017

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I started a new job and going through training has been super time consuming! Yes the first probably 2 months or so I would have off throbbing here and there, but it has dwindled down to practically nothing. I felt like my top lip stuck out a lot at first, but I really think it was swelling and felt much worse than it actually look (I know first had though the slightest difference feels huge to us but in reality everyone else would hardly notice). I use the rotadent toothbrush that I bought at Dr. Golpa's office, and a regular soft bristled toothbrush when I am at work. I had swapped around toothpaste quite a bit, lately I really like AIM. How are you feeling now? Swelling totally resolved? Are you feeling much happier with your new smile?

SKdivr

April 5, 2017

I know Dr. Golpa's office said to use a gel toothpaste, but not all gel toothpastes are low abrasive ( RDA under 71).

http://www.promenadedentalva.com/docs/toothpaste-abrasion-chart.pdf

May 9, 2017

Wow, I haven't been here in awhile. @tristansmommy, we spoke a few months ago about the procedure right after I had it done. I see you had yours done as well! You look fantastic! Congrats.

May 10, 2017

Thank you so much! Yes I took the plunge and couldn't be happier that I did. It's an adjustment for sure, but it's a million times better than what I had before. My eating, my health, and my confidence have improved so much. How Re you doing? You look great as well!

StaceyMontana

May 10, 2017

I'm happy with the results. I go for my 6 month check up the month...... (this is the 3rd one).....so far so good.

May 10, 2017

I just became due for my 6 month checkup, so I M doing tjatt shortly

May 10, 2017

I'm doing that shortly *spellcheck

May 10, 2017

My 6 mos. check up was supposed to be in March but I'm terrified to fly. I live in South Texas and we drove (25 hours, ugh) when i had the procedure done last August and I really, really don't want to deal with that long drive again. Dr. Golpa is opening an office in Dallas which would be perfect. Only a 5 hour drive. It was supposed to be open in March, then got delayed until April, then May, and now June. I stay in touch with the office every month when I make my payment. They have reassured me that extending my 6 mos. check up by 3 or 4 months would not be a problem as long as i'm not having any issues with the implants. If the office doesn't open in June I guess I'll have to fly. If that's the case I will just have to find a way to deal with the anxiety. A drink or ten or a zanax perhaps, lol. My implants are fine and seem solid. I just can't wait to get a reline on the upper arch. There is a nice size gap between the bridge and my gum line on the right side which gives me a weird airy lisp and bubbles that travel up and under my upper lip and it's so distracting, lol. (i hope that makes sense, lol). I heard they can adjust it so the gap is smaller. Do y'all know how they do that? Also, if i laugh hard or smile really big (one of those big toothy smiles) the top part of the bridge (where it stops and my natural gum begins) shows fairly easily. I'm a bit self conscious about that because its right in the front.

May 11, 2017

I have the same kind of gap, which does bother me but not to badly I suppose. I do want the gap closed more because of the air bubbles which I find distracting at times. I do still have a slight lisp 6 months later. But I suppose that will also resolve with time. I was 6 months post as of 2 days ago. I had planned to go immediately for my check up but I started a new job and have been slammed busy so i have had to push it back a bit, but i should be there in june.

May 11, 2017

My lisp has faded some but I'm more distracted by the gap and bubbles, lol. Especially when I'm talking to someone one on one. I start thinking to myself, "can they tell I have bubbles traveling up under my upper lip? Am I talking differently?" Then my focus goes from the conversation to bubbles.

May 11, 2017

Also, congrats on the new job!

May 12, 2017

Lol I know what you mean, I have had those bubbles travel up and make a farting noise Lol, it seems loud to me but nobody, even my husband, say they can hear it. Overall are you happy with yours? Feel like it was money well spent?

May 12, 2017

I'm thrilled with the results. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

UPDATED FROM tristansmommy

8 days post

tristansmommyNovember 17, 2016

Wanted to include a new picture

Replies (4)

4luckyAustralia

November 20, 2016

You look great!

November 20, 2016

Thank you! I am finally starting to feel like I look like myself again only with a much better smile!

November 21, 2016

Thank you, trying to adjust to the change lol. I feel like I should be practicing smiling since I have never really done it, it looks so unnatural to see myself smile lol

StaceyMontana

November 30, 2016

You look awesome. Question, what color/shade did you choose?

November 30, 2016

I chose the 3rd shade down from the whitest. It is a very light shade but I am super fair so it matched me pretty well. The more "natural white" shades came close to my natural skin tone so they didn't look very white on me since apparently I am the color of paper lol

Katrina1993

January 10, 2017

Beautiful