Bad Bite, Bad Teeth, Bad Finances! Rockville, MD--Scheduled for Tuesday 01/19/15
Update on implant
Clear Choice All On Four
I am still in quite a bit of pain, but it is manageable with ibuprofen and the occasional Percocet. I'm not sure at this point whether it's worth the $$$, though I had to do something since I had failing bridges with the
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How are you feeling after your surgery? Are they telling you about how the implants are "taking"? From April to July for your permanent teeth? That's awesome!
Mine are going to take a bit longer. I have an appointment to uncover the one implant which the surgeon is not sure about. I'm hoping it's going to take". During the process on that side, a nerve was uncovered and exposed. Dr Golly put it back in as best she could, but I do have some residual numbness which will probably go away? But maybe not? The numbness is improving and it isn't painful anymore, just feels strange. I'm getting used to it.
I will take another pic with my face unswollen. My facial structure has changed some, with the teeth in place my cheekbones are more prominent, and my lip area is more sunken in (without the big overbite). My family says it's taking some getting used to. I will ask when they fit me for the permanent teeth (sometime around July, thinking maybe I'll be ready for the permanent ones around September. I'm not anxious, I know with Lupus I am going to heal more slowly. Wondering if the "puppet lines" will improve when I get the permanent ones.
Anyway, hubby keeps saying he's jealous because my teeth look so good. He needs his uppers done, but we may go to Mexico for that, just because he doesn't have any autoimmune issues that would preclude it, plus I have the name of a center that a few friends have used. He has a removable bridge right now, and it is wearing out his remaining teeth. He may need some bone grafts? (Got stabbed in the mouth and broke out all his from 4 teeth, plus took some of his gum. Wrong place, wrong time, lucky it wasn't a few inches lower.)
The only drawback to these teeth is that they are hard to clean out underneath. That is probably because my dominant hand hasn't healed properly from surgery, so I don't have a lot of dexterity in it to work the water pick. Also, there's something about the texture of the teeth that food sticks to them. So if you don't brush right after you eat, you'll always have food stuck to your teeth. Other than that, I have gotten nothing but compliments and I am learning how to smile broadly, instead of that "baring your teeth" thing that always passed for my smiley face.
Day 4 postsurgery
The worst is supposed to be over, since this is day 4 post-surgery.
If it weren't for the fact that I have Lupus, I would have probably tried to go overseas. Google dental tourism, there are a lot of places that facilitate it. But the pretty much want folks in good physical health.
We're not sure if the bottom right is going to "take". The bottom back of both sides of my jaws are very soft. My PC doc gave me a list of supplements to start taking, so I'll look for those. I will do whatever I need to do, including not eating anything that as to be chewed, for 9 months. This is an exception,though. Most people are able to eat soft foods.
I was able to get the first part of the financing done by taking out a loan on my 401K. M husband did put up a "Go Fund Me" up for me, and we have gotten a few contributions, which I am super grateful for. I will have to pay the balance when the permanent teeth are delivered. We have gotten quite a few credit card offers for "no interest until 2017", and I will probably use one of those and transfer the balance as the end date comes due. Now that the pain is diminishing, I think it's going to be worth it. Wish I could have done something when I was younger. But not having a migraine in almost 2 months is a minor miracle.
https://www.gofundme.com/kne2twfg the pic my husband used is from when I got my last tooth pulled prior to surgery. It was a single tooth, the anchor tooth to a bridge. I broke the tooth off into the bridge. : ( Really don't have much more swelling and bruising now than I did for the single tooth. I had 7 pulled for this procedure, and it feels like the dentist is trying to get more mileage out of the bottom jaw by forcing the gumline forward, which beats the heck out of having the jaw broken. I can almost get my top and bottom teeth together, which I have never been able to do, even after 4 years of the ugliest braces you have ever seen!
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Well, the good folks at Clear Choice in Houston, Texas at the Memorial Herman location decided they could help me after 14 long years with the dentures that nearly wore out my mouth tissue. They were going to have to use what was known as zygomatic implants for the upper left and right areas because of the horrible bone situations, but they were confident. Well they did just that. I developed what is known as an oral-antra fistula on the upper right side and it took seven procedures to repair that, but it is now closed and all is good. Today I want you know that I do not regret a minute or a penny. With all the specialized things that I had to have to be able to do this I had to spend right at $240, 000 of my own money, but I promise, it has been worth every cent.
Also, you look great. Give it all time to heal and get strong before you try and get to forceful with the new teeth. Promise you will do fine.
Please keep in touch with me at my personal email (rickmadd@comcast.net). I am doing things right now in an effort to try and create a foundation that will help people who are in the same shoes as you and I were so that they can get the help they need even if they can't afford it.
Thanks,
Rick
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A couple of months ago, my top plate developed a crack right where the implant screws go through. I had felt like it was a bit loose on that one side but I was assured that it was not loose, The crack developed, and within a few months, the plate split and I lost 3 teeth. I went back to the office and they did a temporary repair. That broke off as well. They broke out the temporaries and put them in until I could get new plates made since they are still under warranty. The bottom temporary plate had a crack which was repaired. The repair lasted maybe two weeks, and I have to go back in tomorrow and have it repaired again. The permanent teeth won't be ready for probably another month or two.
i know part of the problem is that I put a lot of pressure on my teeth, which is why my original teeth kept failing. This time I got a soft bite guard that I can wear for my clench problem...I have worn holes in it on the side I have trouble with. I am hoping they can get my bite correct like they did originally, and hopefully we can keep it that way. I can see why the adjustments are mandatory, although C-19 has changed the nature of getting appointments.
The sharp edges on the breaks are the absolute pits! CC says use dental wax over the rough spots--doesn't work. There is no way to glue them together.