"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..."

[randomness]

...well, actually one of my front teeth is fine, so I just want the other one back.

Those of you I've smiled at in person the last year or so know I am missing one of my front teeth. Today, I had the second-stage procedure for the implant they installed some months ago.

What this entails is having the post (onto which the crown will be placed) attached to the implant. So if you look in my mouth now you'll see a grey post sticking out of the gum in the front of upper jaw.

In another month they'll take an impression so that they can make a crown, and after that they'll install the new crown.

Not quite in time for Christmas, but soon!

Comments

sorry, I can't resist...

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

So does this mean you're wishing us Merry Chrithmath?

Re: sorry, I can't resist...

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

I do, in fact, have that speech impediment.

Re: sorry, I can't resist...

[donnad.livejournal.com]

I have a whistle sometimes when I'm tired. The lisping has gotten better since I had the initial surgery.
I am still dealing with the titanium posts, last week they took my next round of impressions. Next week I go for the wax mock-up. Since I'm having the whole jaw replaced, I'm dealing with a lot more time and fittings than you are.

Good Luck.

[muffyjo]

Woo hoo! Soon you'll have it all!

[agrimony.livejournal.com]

Woo! Progress!

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Hooray for impending new tooth!

Is it hard to resist poking at the post with your tongue? I would not be able to stop doing that. :-}

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I wonder why they make you wait so long?

[donnad.livejournal.com]

The bone has to heal. It takes 8 to 10 weeks for it to heal sufficiently to be able to take the pressure of actually biting on an implant.
I'm in the process of having six permanent implants on my lower jaw, I had much of the bone and teeth removed back in August. I have had nothing but the titanium posts in my lower jaw since then. They took my second round of impressions last week.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Oh my. That's quite a long time. But thank you for the explaination. I didn't think about the healing process.

I have a terrible fear of losing a front tooth/teeth. Is there anything they can give you, like a clip-on fake tooth or something, in the interim?

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Is there anything they can give you, like a clip-on fake tooth or something, in the interim?

Not really, because you can't bite down on it until the bone starts to heal around the implant. As the bone heals it adheres to the implant.
I had the added problem of having much of the bone in my jaw removed as well due to disease. Then I had a second surgery in October to remove more bone.

Currently I have only two titanium posts on my lower jaw, they are hoping they have enough bone left to add four more. We wont know for sure until I have a CT scan done. In the meantime, I can eat mostly normally. I can't eat stuff that is too hard, (like the crispy edges on fried chicken,) and I can't bite and pull. But I couldn't do that before without chipping and breaking off teeth.
(My upper jaw is normal, but will likely need to have the same thing done in the future)

[krlisue.livejournal.com]

They didn't give you a temporary crown for cosmetics? I got one the day after they put in the implant/post. The post, by the way, was covered by the cheapest looking temporary abutment you could ever imagine- it looked like cheap pink plastic!

Have fun with your lithhhhhp.