63, Bone Loss, No Back Teeth, G4 Dental Implants (all on 4) in Las Vegas, NV

Over the past 3 years I had lost all of my back teeth and only 10 of my original teeth remained along with a few crowns. My teeth were yellow but worse than the color was I couldn't eat and I didn't smile. A year ago I almost had bone grafts, sinus lifts and ridge augmentations which if you've researched, know that it would have been at the very least a year before I would have teeth I could eat with normally. I then spoke to another dentist who suggested All on 4 implants, with a surgeon, prosthodontist, anesthesiologist, and multiple trips to a town 6 hours away for the procedure, wax try ins and eventually in around 6 months, permanent teeth at a starting price of $50,000. The only other option presented was partial dentures with complete dentures within a year or two as my other teeth failed.
I'm getting old but I have 10 young grandchildren and 2 more on the way. I didn't want to deal with dentures or multiple surgeries and try ins until I got permanent teeth. There had to be something out there. So I looked and I found these incredible videos and reviews about Dr. Mike Golpa. So, my husband and I researched for anything we could find bad or wrong about what Dr. Golpa does. We found one review but it looked like Dr. Golpa fixed all the concerns of the one patient. So we went to my dentist and said, "unless you know something that we should know, we're going to go with Dr. Golpa". He had nothing and agreed that at the price of $34,000 and permanent teeth immediately he would do the same.

We booked my appointment then my anxiety flooded every part of me. I almost talked myself out of doing anything, just going through life toothless. Thankfully I watched a recent video by Jarrettg and emailed him several times. He very kindly answered my questions and on the day of my surgery even called to check on me at the office. He's the age of one of my children, a really nice, honest young man!
So, we drove to Vegas, about an 8 hour drive, checked in at Treasure Island and went for the consultation. I was very unsure about the shade of my teeth. I pretty much liked the shape of my teeth the way the way the were when they were in good shape but color wise I was concerned. I'm not a spring chicken and I didn't want the 'hollywood' smile. Just a clean, whitish look with healthy teeth I could chew with. I looked at B3 and B4. Chose B3 but when Dr. Golpa came in he reminded me that I wouldn't be looking at just one tooth, it would be a whole mouthful so I went with B4. Also, while I'm not really fair skinned, I don't tan often and mostly I wanted to go home and have people wonder what was different, not stand out with bright white teeth that they would immediately know what had changed.

I still had a high anxiety level but got a decent nights sleep and at 8 AM, walked in, scared, teary eyed but determined. I met the anesthesiologist who answered questions I had and I went to sleep. When I woke up I felt some prodding and poking so I got a few local injections and that went away. The whole procedure took about 5 hours. When we got back to the hotel, I drank water, ate yogurt and applesauce and slept. I know many people don't have pain but as you age, everything starts to hurt so I took my NSAID (ibuprofen) and one of the pain pills Dr. Golpa prescribed. I also took the medicine he gave me before the procedure and I think that really helped with my pain level. The next day I rested in the room until they called and said it was time to come in (about Noon).

At this point I want to mention something that I was at first confused about. In the earlier videos, people were put in temporary teeth (still good ones, but but not permanent). Sometime in 2015, the lab got the capability to make the permanent teeth immediately. So, if you watch a video from 2014 or earlier, you are seeing temporary teeth first. Starting sometime in 2015 the people you see are in their permanent teeth the day after surgery.

Anyway we went in, Sophia put my new teeth in and Dr. Golpa came in to check them. He adjusted my bite a little and when I looked in the mirror I was ecstatic! What a difference more teeth and a better color make to your appearance. So very happy! All the staff came in to look and photos were taken. When we got back to the hotel I had a cheeseburger. A funny story! I guess I was a little numb still or just couldn't feel the teeth so I cut the burger into quarters but couldn't figure out if it was in my mouth. My husband was playing a game so I put my phone in front of me and watched myself eat. I was chewing the burger, no issues. That night we had seafood (lobster, shrimp, crab) and I had a salad. I hadn't eaten a salad in a long time! Tasted so good!
We spent the night in case I had any problems but didn't have problems so left and got home Friday afternoon. I finished my antibiotics and rinse, started with the Waterpik and have had no problems. I thought I was having a bite problem but when I called the office, the nurse told me that since I was still a little swollen (it took about a week to get back to my normal self) to wait and see if it corrected by itself. It seems to have corrected but I know I can call and talk to them anytime I need to. I've eaten a very tender steak, salads and just about everything but hard crunchy food. I want the implants to have time to integrate with my bone.

It's been 3 weeks now and I'm in Baltimore visiting my daughter, her husband and their 2 ½ year old twins and 1 year old. That's work! They do think it's pretty cool to watch Grandma use the Waterpik.
My speech is pretty normal, I do occasionally hear a lisp but I'm working on it. No one seems to notice (except me).

I have no regrets! Would I rather have my original teeth? Of course. But I didn't take care of them and I feel like I got the best thing available on the market at this point in time. The teeth look natural, the gums look normal (no teeth show through the gums as one person showed on a video). Was it expensive? Yes, but so are multiple visits to the dentist, dentures, denture paste, etc. We borrowed the money and will be paying it back for about a year. I hope to live much longer than that and enjoy all these beautiful grandchildren my children are giving us and I'm sure my new teeth and smile will make life much more enjoyable! I'm willing to answer any questions!
Don't delay, it's worth giving up cigarettes (I don't smoke so it's easy for me to say), playing the lottery or slot machines, sodas, candy or whatever you can to make your money go further. Get out there and make it happen - then SMILE!

A few of you wanted to see what the bridge looked like in the mouth. I was really curious before I had the procedure done and I don't mind sharing. I had all my remaining teeth extracted which is why there is tissue sticking up and little holes. You can see a tiny bit of the front 2 abutments (the silver) which are attached to the implants. The bridge is screwed into the abutments and the little holes are covered with some type of dental material (like what a cavity is filled with.) I'm assuming the tissue will all even out although there will always be a space between the bridge and my real gums. Thus the reason for the Waterpik and flossing/brushing really well.
I can't get a photo of the top of the upper bridge. Not enough hands to try to hold my lip up and push a button. But it looks the same. There are 2 more implants toward the back on both upper and lower making 4 holding each bridge.
The teeth feel very sturdy. When I chew there is no movement and no pain. I now have more of a sensation when I chew. The first week it felt a little strange. :)

It has been 3 months since I had the G4 Implants. This is the same as the All on 4 but Dr. Mike Golpa in Las Vegas, Nevada has carefully and thoughtfully tweaked the original All on 4 procedure so that those of us going to Golpa Dental Implant Clinic receive our permanent teeth the day after any extractions and the placement of the implants.

I now feel much more comfortable in public! For the first 6 weeks I was sure that everyone was staring at my mouth and wondering what I had done to my teeth. I worried what my mouth looked like to other people when I was in public - was I closed lipped with a scowl or walking around with my mouth wide open because I couldn’t remember what a natural, relaxed smile looked like for someone with 24 teeth. Finally, I am back to who I was. A happy, smiling, laughing, eating and talking (not at the same time though) 63 year old woman with wonderful little grandchildren getting under foot. And while I live in a small town so always see someone I know when I’m grocery shopping or running other errands, not one person has stared or asked anything about my teeth. They do look different than my real teeth (thank goodness). But not so very different that it’s really obvious I had work done.

I just returned from a family wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where I saw many family members. A few knew I had gone through this procedure, others didn't but no one asked (and thankfully no one told those who didn’t know). The wife of my nephew's spouse didn't know (I hadn’t seen her in about 4 years) but out of the blue at dinner told me I radiated beauty, happiness and confidence and she enjoyed spending time with me. Four months ago no one would have said that! I feel so great!!!

I have had no problems with my teeth, the implants or keeping them clean. Traveling by plane is challenging because when I eat, unless it's something simple that doesn’t require a lot of chewing, I often feel the need to get my Waterpic out and clean my teeth. Sitting in a crowded plane that’s not always possible. I usually have a water bottle with me when I fly so I can at least do a little swishing and swallowing. In an airport on my way home from visiting my daughter and her children, I decided to try my travel Waterpic. It works well, although it must be refilled a few times, but it does the job. I did manage to spray myself in the face while bending over the sink and when I did I glanced in the mirror, very embarrassed, to see if anyone noticed. A woman in line smiled at me. It was like she understood what I was doing and maybe had been there and done that. We both laughed and I continued to floss and brush. No one has said anything negative about my using the Waterpic in the very busy airport bathrooms, but I do try to be quick. And I clean up around the sink because I'm pretty messy. I even used the Waterpic in the bathroom on the jet going to Mexico. I had a bottle of water and did just a quick job of getting the pieces that might show or get stuck to my teeth. I find the worse food for getting stuck is lettuce or any type of greens. I think that's true with real teeth as well, but if I've had a salad or think I might, I plan when and where I'll be able to clean my teeth. In a medium large purse or bag I can easily carry the travel waterpik which is something I’m willing to do. I do discreetly swish water in my mouth but it doesn't always help. I also enlist the help of my husband or anyone else I happen to be eating with - telling them in advance to please don't hesitate to tell me if I have food stuck to my teeth. I would much rather them mention it than to not know and start talking to someone else with a piece of lettuce stuck to a tooth.

So, maybe you’re wondering - can't I feel if something is stuck on a tooth? Yes, most times I can tell but the teeth are not real and have no nerves in them so something as lightweight as a piece of greens doesn't register. Food that gets under the bridges is easier to feel but the tips of the teeth and the front of my teeth have no feeling. I don't know if that changes over time but I will ask when I go for my first cleaning. I do have much more feeling now than I did at post 2 months so it might start to feel a little more natural as time progresses.

I've eaten everything I like! I've had steak, hamburgers, chicken, pork, seafood, salads, all types of fruits, corn on the cob and lots of things I’ve not eaten in a long while because I had no back teeth to chew with. I have stayed away from nuts, popcorn, granola, raw carrots, basically anything really hard. I have to remind myself that while my new teeth feel good, the implants in the bone are still healing and I don’t want to jeopardize that process.

I was a little worried twice in the 2nd month. First, I was with 3 of my grandchildren who had bronchitis and I caught it! I’ve had pneumonia several times so when I started constantly coughing, I went to an Urgent Care clinic before it got worse. An antibiotic took care of the lungs but it all went to my sinuses. That meant a lot of stuffiness and blowing and I worried that could affect the implants. I took decongestants to try to eliminate some of the stuffiness but it took me about 2 weeks to recover. During that time I kept doing what I always do, playing with my grandchildren. Because my nose was stuffed up, my balance was off. Twice I fell which I don’t do very often. The first time was at a children’s play area. I was trying to keep the youngest from escaping and backed into a toy landing flat on my back and hitting my head. While it wasn’t funny then, the first thing my daughter asked was “did you hit your teeth?” No, just the back of my head on what was thankfully a very padded foam rug. The second time I leaned over to pick up toys on the floor that were in my way and fell right over. Darn, I felt so clumsy, but I only hit my shoulders! And again the question, “are your teeth okay?” Yes, my teeth were fine but I decided not to pick up anymore toys until my head cleared up. From their home I flew to see my parents and the 2nd day I was there I tripped over 2 dogs I was trying to get outside. Unfortunately that time I landed on my left side on concrete and cracked a rib. Still, my sweet Mama said “Did you hurt your teeth?” No, everything still feels the same and since I don’t have X-ray vision, I’m hoping I didn’t jolt something loose. Nothing feels different and I don’t feel any movement of the teeth when I’m eating, so I think I’m okay. It’s now really funny to me that the first thing my family said to me was “are your teeth okay?” Never mind that I have a headache and a cracked rib! ;)

Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know that I’m still very glad I had the implants at the Golpa Clinic. It was very frightening contemplating it, but once I got there and started the process I became increasingly more comfortable with what was going on. The staff was wonderful, immediately recognizing my anxiety and doing everything they could to make me feel less anxious. From start to finish I was cared for and never left alone to stew in my thoughts of “what if’s?”

I am now so very comfortable with my teeth and smile. I had stopped going places with my husband because I was embarrassed about my lack of teeth but not anymore. I go for many hours during the day forgetting that I have artificial teeth, only remembering when it’s time to clean them. The Waterpic is amazing! It’s become so easy to use. At first it would take 30 minutes for me to make sure I cleaned everywhere. Now, I can do it in about 5-10 minutes during the day when I’m busy with other things. I always do a very through cleaning at night before bed.

If you are hesitating for any reason - don’t! There are many options to help you afford the procedure and as for fear or anxiety, the staff are pros at helping you overcome the fear. I got a kick out of what Dr. Golpa said when I told him I was terrified. He said “that’s the reason I see the majority of the people that come to the clinic.” He is absolutely correct!
Most of his patients, like myself, were so afraid of the dentist that we let our teeth go until dentures or implants became the only option.
Take charge of your life, starting with your dental health. You’ll find it improves not only your teeth but your whole outlook on life!

I’m attaching 2 new photos of me doing what I love the most!