First Stage of Dental Implant finished

cloneslad

I'm feeling very happy today. I got the titanium part of my implant fitted yesterday and everything went really well. I just thought I'd let those considering an implant know about how it went.

I didn't bother getting sedated (the option was given to me, but I declined). It's really not a painful procedure. I was completely numb though. My G.F could hear the dentist (surgeon??) hammering into the bone in my gum from the waiting room. There was no pain from it, just the vibration everytime he hit me and my eyes would bounce up into my head.

They split the bone down the middle and pushed out the front of the boe to help take away the indentation I previously had on my gum. It looks well, even now after only one day.

Everything went really well, the mouth is healing well, the implant went in very straight and there was even more bone in the gum than was previously thought from viewing the x-ray. My only problem was that the anaesthetic for numbing me, always give me a dodgy stomach, so I have been laid up all day today feeling like crap. It only cam on at 7am this morning, but it's a small price to pay.

I now have to wait about 5 months before I go back and they cut my gum open again, check how everything is looking and then add the next part. Apparently they will leave that for another 2 months or so, then start taking moulds for the tooth itself. I was told it will take about 9 months for everything. Not sure if this is counted from my first visit (last month) or from yesterday.

The total cost for this will set me back about €2,500. Some of my friends think I'm crazy to pay such an amount. Others think I should have went abroad. I, on the other hand, have had a denture for about 12 years (lost my front tooth after running into someones head playing under 15 gaelic).

I'm only 27 and the money is well worth not being embarrassed about having to take out a tooth when going to bed / play sports etc etc. I will not have to wear a denture again, I will have a much better smile. I know if I have any problems, the dentists is a short drive from home, instead of a plane journey to Poland, and most importantly, I'll be able to lick the roof of my mouth at all times and know that anything I eat will not force out my tooth, and I will be able to taste it properly.

TL;DR Version

Got implant started
have had denture 12 years
gonna cost about €2,500
It's a painless procedure
I'm delighted.

CyberJuice

Nice one,good to hear good stories like this and great that after 12 years you had enough bone for the procedure

dubdad

wow!
HAMMERS omg!!
i thought it would involve drilling into the jaw-bone and then screwing in the implant, did u need a bone graft too ???

cloneslad

dubdad wrote: »

wow!
HAMMERS omg!!
i thought it would involve drilling into the jaw-bone and then screwing in the implant, did u need a bone graft too ???

Didn't need any bone graft. Although I lost the tooth quite a long time ago, and when I was a kid, I don't and never have smoked. I'm also quite healthy and don't eat / drink sugary foods and drinks, and I don't drink alcohol (if that has any bearing).

They did use a drill for a short bit, can't remember if it was before or after they beat me up with the hammer. The hammer (i think) was used to break the bone down the middle and push it out, to help rid me of the indentation in my gum and make it look more aesthtically pleasing. One of the dentists here will hopefully correct me if I'm wrong on that.

As for drilling, the dentist only used the drill initially, he then used a manual tool to create the hole. He uses this tool as it only has a scraping part on one side of the bit that goes into the bone, It allows him to create a more exact hole rather than using a drill and having to create a full circle by using the automatic drill.

It's hard to explain what I'm talking about through text, but it's easy to see and understand when he showed me the tool.

Don't worry about the implant, it's not painful. It has been uncomfortable over the past few day, been mostly easting lightly toasted toast and some very creamed mashed potato but it is becoming more comfortable to eat and I had a pork chop today, though my appetite hasn't really been up to much.

Oral Surgeon

Sounds like you are describing a procedure called a "ridge split" where the thin bone remaining after a long standing gap is literally split in half to allow the implant to be placed between the separated plates of bone and in theory you don't need a bone grafting procedure. This can be a technically difficult procedure...

This is not for everyone as some sites do not split well, some fracture and some need bone graft anyway....

Keep us up to date on your progress op.

OS

cloneslad

Oral Surgeon wrote: »

Sounds like you are describing a procedure called a "ridge split" where the thin bone remaining after a long standing gap is literally split in half to allow the implant to be placed between the separated plates of bone and in theory you don't need a bone grafting procedure. This can be a technically difficult procedure...

This is not for everyone as some sites do not split well, some fracture and some need bone graft anyway....

Keep us up to date on your progress op.

OS

Yup, a ridge split, that's what he said it was.

After looking at the X-ray at my initial visit, he thought the ridge split would be the way to go to try and make the gum look better. He also mentioned that it may not work right, and that although (from the X-ray) the bone looked good, I may need the bone graft, but he wanted to try it out without it.

I really trusted this place as I've been using this dentists for the past 5-6 years and my brother's wife's Sister (if that makes sense) works there and I've always been happy with their work, and heard that their implant guy is great. He flies over once a month from Bath, where he works on reconstructive surgery for people who have messed up their mouths through various injuries (Kicked by horses, attempted suicide etc).

They aren't the type of dentist to sell you the implant just because it'll make them money, I've been mentioning the implant for a long time now and my dentist kept putting me off as he knew I played rugby and other sports and was always travelling around the world (meaning it might have to be rushed to fit my schedule) so he didn't want me to get it and then ruin it, despite the fact that I had the cash to go ahead with it.

I actually PM'd Fitzgeme earlier in the year about information for implants because I had broken my denture eating popcorn and just felt enough was enough, and that I had to get it done now, or I'd never do it. Especially as I don't know how long I'll be around Ireland for.

The receptionist even called me on Wednesday (got the implant on Monday) to see if there was any pain or problems, which I thought was a nice touch. Getting the stitches out and a check up of how things are looking next friday.

I've seen videos on youtube of people getting their teeth pulled, the implant put in, and a temporary crown put on all in the same day. I'm glad I didn't have to do that. It all seems a bit rushed on the mouth.

BTW, I wouldn't advise people to watch some of those videos on youtube. Some of them seem like the work was carried out very poorly and this may put people off.



If anyone has any questions about the procedure, how the recovery is going etc, just ask here and I will reply.

cloneslad

I got my stitches out today. I was told everything has healed up nicely and all is going well.

Have to go back in February for an x-ray, then it's one visit a month until the end of May to get the rest of it all finished.

cloneslad

Just a quick update on this, finally got everything finished with it on Saturday. ,y gum kept growing back really and partially covering over the cap they had in place.

I have some stiches in my gum at the minutes as the dentist had to push the gum back upmslightlymat the front, as it had grown a bit. He also tried to make it more aesthetically similar to my other front teeth.

Once the swelling has come down, and the stitches are out, I'll post some pictures I took of the tooth along the way.




Oh yeah, and I'm delighted, it's the best money I've ever spent, and my mouth feels like a whole new world, after 13 years of wearing a denture.