Starting the Journey and Taking the Plunge

OMG this has been a loooooong and painful process. I didn’t post about the 3rd temps because it was awful and just makes me cry when I think about it. I got them on 9/28/22 and it is now 1/10/23!! The adjustments request were sent to the lab end of October and then the lab had issues. During the removal my front tooth broke and new top molds were taken. They didn’t tell me this but when I compared the pictures it is obvious. I only realized it happened because I felt the sharp broken edge with my tongue and decided to take a picture to see what was going on. I didn’t ask the doctor about it though, I was scared and upset.

On the third set I told him that two of the teeth were leaning. Both the doctor and my husband couldn’t see it. Luckily, when I met the new lab, she was able to see it. After waiting ~3 months in this third set the lab finally dropped off the teeth. They were the wrong color and UGLY. I hated them but I would have let them put them on because I need this whole process to just be over and the pain to stop. I’m tired of eating soggy cereal and even that makes my gums bleed sometimes. My husband knew I was upset and told the doctor not to put them on. So then we started taking next steps. He said he’d call the lab to figure out if he could fix it. They called me back and said they’d be going with a new lab.

Honestly, I’d have called it quits and gone to a denture clinic if it wasn’t for the new tech. I told my husband that’s what I was going to do if this was still going on in 2023.

After meeting with the lab tech it was clear everything is a giant mess! She didn’t know I got an implant. I didn’t understand why I was getting a bridge. She had the old bite. In the end she get horrible telling me this but she needed new impressions. So now I go in tomorrow for my fourth set. I’ve cried so much my eyes are swollen. I absolutely hate this and I’m always in a bad mood it seems. What’s even more frustrating is my bill has gone up, again!! I don’t even understand why because I was never even talked to about a bridge, but now I have to pay for an extra crowns?!? They were going to credit my account back 4,500 for the implant and partial temp they were no longer doing but now it is 3,500. My poor husband who is not the keeper of the bills has been having to deal with them. I refuse because I’m so mad and it causes me to feel like I’m having a panic attack. He’s asked them several times over the last few months to send over a bill breakdown, but they have not, which is SUPER annoying.

I’m not sure why we haven’t pivoted to fix my gums with the extra time. The second opinion I got quoted me at 4-5 month for ortho and a periodontal work and we’ve now passed that timeline and my teeth are nothing but worse for it. I’m not sure how the doc ever thought he could get this done in 2 weeks. Which is the entire reason we decided to go this route. This has a lot to do with the office only being open 3 days a week. It takes 2-3 weeks to get in between appointments. I’ve missed so much work and the stress has caused me to lose over 30 lbs. I don’t think I could ever recommend anyone doing this procedure or at-least without doing more prep to speed the process up.

I got my second set of temps on 8/18, almost a month ago. A little frustrating to have to wait two more weeks to get the third. I was expecting a few weeks in between but not 6 weeks!

I can’t wait until this is over. I just want to eat again. Changing the temps was straight up awful! The numbing shots burned beyond belief. You apparently can’t be sedated for that. It is the stuff of nightmares for people with anxiety. I’m a few days short of being in these temps a month and a portion just broke off exposing the tooth underneath. Ugh… it is painful to breathe. I hope they are open tomorrow. I do worry about calling though as to not increase my bill.

I still haven’t gotten clarification on the bill. I thought it would be reduced since it is 3 crowns and an implant less, plus a bridge. I had to make my first $700 payment and there was no reduction. I’m also unsure if each wax-up to make the temps is costing $1,300 like before or if it was included. My husband says he’ll call for more information tomorrow.

With all that said and even under all the stress and worry that my teeth are rotting under these temps… I absolutely love to smile even if they aren’t perfect. Before I wouldn’t… although I think the gums on the top and bottom of my front right tooth won’t be fixed.

I feel so much better after my visit. He explained how talking to me after I’d been there that long was just making me panic more so he thought it best to postpone the conversation. My stress is off the charts over this. He sat and talked to me and asked the lab technician to come take a look. Although I’m sad to know I have to wait 9 days to get new acrylic temps. Taste is horrible and they are painful. Back one needs to be 1 m shorter as it is hitting the back of my bottom jaw when I close my mouth. Talking is painful. He started to do the touch ups but I just wanted to leave. During the follow up visit I realized that he too was just an employee and wanting to do a good thing/ job.

Acrylic is rough and uncomfortable. He said permanents would be smooth. I wouldn’t have even known what that have meant or how much it mattered before this experience.

I help out until day 4 when my husband called the dentist. He said I could go into the other office to have them file my back tooth, but gave me the ok to do it myself if I went slow. My family did not like the sound of me filing my teeth but I got so much relief from the pain.