opera^gal's story

[opera^gal]

Might have allegedly gotten out of a speeding ticket by singing a few years back...so yeah, my insurance remains low due to my voice lol!

[opera^gal]

2 weeks to go until the next to last step in the implant saga. Ortho appt next week for retainer tweeking and swapping out the fakus toothimus for some cool tooth-colored paint stuff in place of the t.f. in the clear retainer. That will leave room for the implant healing collar/peg/whatever to do it's thing for another 2 weeks until I get final impressions for the final crown/toothus permanentus!

[opera^gal]

To quote the Wicked Witch of the West from 'The Wizard of Oz': "I'm melting, melting..what a world what a world"..global warming my lily white backside..it's hot I tell ya...hot as Hades...since when is the surface of the sun located in Manhattan?? Gawd..it's hot!!!

[jensceana73]

I hear ya on that one!!!! It's not the heat....it's the damn humidity!!! I've always wanted a nice "glow" ....but this is ridiculous! I should have bought stock in deodorant this year. God knows I've used enough in the last week to get a small army high.

Good Luck with the implant procedure. Can't wait to hear the detail's. Hopefully.....you won't have melted by then.

[ashesgap]

Hey OperaGal, been following your issues with the new tooth and had a question, since you're almost done. What were/are you using to retain the space? I have to get canine implants and while I know I'll have two fake teeth on my hawley, how long do those work? The implant process takes so long I worry about the teeth moving into that perfectly sized space, which isn't easy to make.
I'm getting close to the end so I'm starting to worry a little.

[opera^gal]

Hey ashes..in the beginning after the tooth extraction, the dentist had a fake tooth shaped piece of bonding put onto my retainer. That worked fine, looked a little odd, until it was removed when I had the trial run with the maryland bridge. When that was an epic fail, my ortho made me a clear retainer and put in an actual fake tooth, that happen to match in color and size perfectly. I've been wearing that now for about 6 months or so, during the whole implant consultation, 1st surgery and osseo-integration phase. This week, the ortho should remove that fake tooth and 'paint' the inside of the retainer where that tooth was, with tooth-colored enamel 'paint'..so when I get the 2nd surgery to expose the implant and attach the healing 'post/collar', it will fit up inside the retainer while the gum heals. Once all is said and done, I'll have a new hawley retainer made for the bottom, probably in late Aug or early Sept, which is nearly a year since the extraction. Good luck, and hope my experience helped you!

[opera^gal]

Retainer check this morning went basically as expected: magic pliers on the top hawley to do who knows what...lower clear had the toothus fakimous drilled hollow to make room for the implant healing post/collar/cover thingamajig to be placed next Monday. A guesstimate appt made for early Sept for impressions for new retainers (both covered completely by new insurance..booyah! ).

[opera^gal]

Bright and early appt to have the implant exposed this morning. It went very quickly, which surprised me a bit. Sat down, took an Xray, got a couple injections..few minutes passed..couple more injections...then zip zap lickity split...doc had the scalpel in there...couple suctions and the cover was removed and the healing cap was in place and tightened down..another Xray and all done! From start to finish, 20 minutes at most. Rested when I got home, and by noon, noticed that a blood clot had formed over the metal cover, so called to make sure that was ok..it was, and should disappear in a day or two. When the injections wore off, was sore and throbby, so took something and napped during the afternoon thunder storms. By evening, the clot was almost gone and some of the shiny titanium was showing. Should be ok by tomorrow, but will still take it easy with eating and rinsing. One step closer!

[opera^gal]

My lovely little titanium cap is fully showing now, with it's slot shaped for a miniature allen wrench gleeming...I shall call it 'ikea' for short! Tried the lower retainer today and it seems to fit fine, if a wee bit tight from a couple days without wearing it. Throbbing continues at the injection sites, as they are bruised and tender to the touch. But hey, at least I was completely numb <take that, capt. sun flare rough hands of old discarded dentistry..ha!>. Count down to impressions and the final crown placement..hoodee frikken hoo!

[opera^gal]

'ikea' is doing well, though a bit of a pain to keep clean..using a proxy brush to keep the groove from accumulating any gunk . Gum tissue looks pink and healed and the injection site bruises are fading nicely. Sometimes eating causes the throbbies to return, but I think that is the tissue getting angry from chewing with a bit too much enthusiasm .

[opera^gal]

Got a phone call from the dentist, to say she wanted to 'take a peek' on how the implant exposure was healing. She wants to make sure that everything is ok for taking the impression in a week. Hopefully, things will be on track enough to go ahead next week! Crossed fingers and toes!!

[opera^gal]

Had the 'peek' and also a measurement taken, with what felt like a molar band, that was put around the implant area..very odd. Could be it's to hold the impression material when they get to that part. I am still a go for next week, which is good...but with the lab time to make the crown, plus the holiday, plus the dentist going on vacation..I won't see her again for the complete shindig of finished implant/bonding/etc until mid Sept!!! I am not amused but there isn't much to be done about it. Will need to postpone the ortho 'new retainers impressions' appt by a week...grrr! If everyone stays on schedule, I should be able to conclude this blog by early Oct

[opera^gal]

I can't believe I've been de-braced for nearly a near <this Saturday..whoa!>. I am really looking forward to completing the implant journey, finishing up with some bonding, getting the new retainers and putting most of this behind me. No clue if I continue to see the ortho for retainer checks at all, or just less often. Maybe we get to shake hands, and part ways until/if there is a problem to be checked. Another month, and I'll know..whoopee

[opera^gal]

Impressions impressions impressions!!! First, had some contraption metal doohickey screwed into the implant...then stuff squirted all around it...then an impression tray filled with the worst tasting glop ...after a long time, the contraption was unscrewed while the tray was still in place, then the whole thing was removed, metal still in the now hardened stuff. Then a wax impression of my bite, which took no time at all. Followed by an impression of the top arch, with minty fresh stuff. Now the wait until Sept 15th, when the toothus finalis should be installed, bonding the mini gaps on top...followed by an ortho appt the next day for...wait for it...no guess...more impressions for new retainers. Two more weeks for retainers to be finished and I think just maybe, I'll be done...the big done..the over and out done

[opera^gal]

Ortho called to move my impressions appt to the same day as all the rest of the stuff is being done..I have to believe that's a good thing