My "All-On-Four" Dental Implant Experience (So Far....)
Discussion
Prologue
Before I get into this, I think it might be relevant to share my back-story. I am a 62 year-old male. I live
in Central Florida, but am originally from the UK.
Prior to 2001 my dental healthcare was entirely provided by the NHS. I dutifully attended 6 monthly
visits (mainly bullied by my wife, who is a nurse). Although I never had any particularly unpleasant
experiences, I had always had some degree of quite unfounded trepidation.
My teeth have always been strong and healthy. By the age of 40, I had only a few more superficial fillings and
had never needed any other treatment for caries and no extractions, root-canals etc. In hindsight, my
dentist focused primarily on my teeth and not my gums.
Despite my brushing twice daily (and flossing somewhat less enthusiastically), signs of gingivitis started
in my late 30’s – slightly ‘puffy’ inflamed gums around the tooth-margin – particularly towards the back
of my mouth and some bleeding when I brushed. I had no pain – no tangible other symptoms, so I kind
of blew it off and normalized it.
When I moved to the US, my first visit to the dentist was a bit of a shock for me. Firstly, even with good
insurance, dental healthcare is expensive. It didn’t escape my notice that my dentist was wearing a
Rolex Submariner wristwatch. He examined me and was pretty forthright in his condemnation of my
dental status and that my prior dental care had been so 'perfunctory’.
He confirmed that although my teeth were in good shape, my gingivitis had progressed to periodontal
disease. He described this as an auto-immune condition, where my body was incapable of combating
bacterial attack in my mouth, compared to those without this deficiency.
His treatment recommendation totally freaked me out.
The recommendation was a surgery that involved cutting my gums open and peeling them away from
my jaw bones and then debriding the bone tissue and finally stitching it all back together again – cost,
with insurance? Six thousand dollars.
My response to this suggestion was, “What if I don’t do this?” His answer was, “Eventually you will lose
bone mass in both jaws to the extent that your teeth will loosen and fall out”.
Back then I had neither the inclination or the $6k required to proceed, so I did nothing…..
Before I get into this, I think it might be relevant to share my back-story. I am a 62 year-old male. I live
in Central Florida, but am originally from the UK.
Prior to 2001 my dental healthcare was entirely provided by the NHS. I dutifully attended 6 monthly
visits (mainly bullied by my wife, who is a nurse). Although I never had any particularly unpleasant
experiences, I had always had some degree of quite unfounded trepidation.
My teeth have always been strong and healthy. By the age of 40, I had only a few more superficial fillings and
had never needed any other treatment for caries and no extractions, root-canals etc. In hindsight, my
dentist focused primarily on my teeth and not my gums.
Despite my brushing twice daily (and flossing somewhat less enthusiastically), signs of gingivitis started
in my late 30’s – slightly ‘puffy’ inflamed gums around the tooth-margin – particularly towards the back
of my mouth and some bleeding when I brushed. I had no pain – no tangible other symptoms, so I kind
of blew it off and normalized it.
When I moved to the US, my first visit to the dentist was a bit of a shock for me. Firstly, even with good
insurance, dental healthcare is expensive. It didn’t escape my notice that my dentist was wearing a
Rolex Submariner wristwatch. He examined me and was pretty forthright in his condemnation of my
dental status and that my prior dental care had been so 'perfunctory’.
He confirmed that although my teeth were in good shape, my gingivitis had progressed to periodontal
disease. He described this as an auto-immune condition, where my body was incapable of combating
bacterial attack in my mouth, compared to those without this deficiency.
His treatment recommendation totally freaked me out.
The recommendation was a surgery that involved cutting my gums open and peeling them away from
my jaw bones and then debriding the bone tissue and finally stitching it all back together again – cost,
with insurance? Six thousand dollars.
My response to this suggestion was, “What if I don’t do this?” His answer was, “Eventually you will lose
bone mass in both jaws to the extent that your teeth will loosen and fall out”.
Back then I had neither the inclination or the $6k required to proceed, so I did nothing…..
Fast forward from September 2002 (initial US dental consultation) to 2012. I’m on a plane, traveling
from Chicago to Tokyo for a work assignment. I was enjoying one of those little bowls of warm nuts they
give you when you’re lucky enough to sit up front. I bit down on a particularly hard almond and one of
my upper molars did something weird…
I spent two weeks in Japan with a loose tooth that became more and more uncomfortable as my work
trip progressed.
I pretty much knew what was going on – and when I got home I called around to find a dentist who
would extract it. By this time, I had convinced myself that all dentists were thieving, money-grabbing
sadists and in archetypal “Burying my head in the sand” mode, had stopped going for routine visits.
Amazingly, (to me, at least) many American dentists don’t do extractions. Eventually I found one who yanked it for me.
His practice x-rayed me as a matter of routine – and he also warned me that there was trouble brewing
for me in the future.
By this time, I had the wherewithal to pay for treatment – I just didn’t have the stomach for it.
Periodontal disease doesn’t hurt, progresses slowly and is outwardly invisible. But is also insidious,
pervasive and relentless if untreated.
8 years later, I noticed another tooth – this time in my lower mandible starting to get a bit wobbly. It
took months, but this one fell out unassisted, as I was brushing it. This was getting f*cking serious.
At this point, I had essentially resigned myself (in my mind) to losing most or all of my teeth. My work
demands that I look presentable (I’m a sales trainer) so I decided that I couldn’t pretend that this wasn’t
happening any longer. I had also learned that periodontal disease is also linked to a number of other
potentially very serious conditions that could even be life-threatening.
I visited my wife’s dentist, who also performed implant surgery. I had categorically decided that I didn’t
want dentures. Everything I’d read about them convinced me that this was never going to work for me.
This dentist very carefully examined me and took a lot of x-rays.
His recommendation was extraction of all of my teeth and fixation of a number of implants, onto which he would attach removable hybrid prosthetics – a titanium arch, embedded in an acrylic denture – top and bottom, that would attach tothe implants like a press-stud – being removable for cleaning overnight.
The procedure would take place over a number of months and essentially be in 3 stages. The total cost was to be $32,000.
The cost – still shocking – was not entirely unexpected, as I’d been researching for some time at this point.
The deal-breakers for me where three-fold. I’d read that this type of appliance was still less than 100% stable, due to the way it is attached – and I struggled with the thought of waking-up of a morning and staring at my teeth on the bedside table. The absolute no-no for me was that this dentist did not have anesthesiology personnel in his practice, meaning I would be conscious during all of the procedures. That scuppered it for me.
Time to look elsewhere….
from Chicago to Tokyo for a work assignment. I was enjoying one of those little bowls of warm nuts they
give you when you’re lucky enough to sit up front. I bit down on a particularly hard almond and one of
my upper molars did something weird…
I spent two weeks in Japan with a loose tooth that became more and more uncomfortable as my work
trip progressed.
I pretty much knew what was going on – and when I got home I called around to find a dentist who
would extract it. By this time, I had convinced myself that all dentists were thieving, money-grabbing
sadists and in archetypal “Burying my head in the sand” mode, had stopped going for routine visits.
Amazingly, (to me, at least) many American dentists don’t do extractions. Eventually I found one who yanked it for me.
His practice x-rayed me as a matter of routine – and he also warned me that there was trouble brewing
for me in the future.
By this time, I had the wherewithal to pay for treatment – I just didn’t have the stomach for it.
Periodontal disease doesn’t hurt, progresses slowly and is outwardly invisible. But is also insidious,
pervasive and relentless if untreated.
8 years later, I noticed another tooth – this time in my lower mandible starting to get a bit wobbly. It
took months, but this one fell out unassisted, as I was brushing it. This was getting f*cking serious.
At this point, I had essentially resigned myself (in my mind) to losing most or all of my teeth. My work
demands that I look presentable (I’m a sales trainer) so I decided that I couldn’t pretend that this wasn’t
happening any longer. I had also learned that periodontal disease is also linked to a number of other
potentially very serious conditions that could even be life-threatening.
I visited my wife’s dentist, who also performed implant surgery. I had categorically decided that I didn’t
want dentures. Everything I’d read about them convinced me that this was never going to work for me.
This dentist very carefully examined me and took a lot of x-rays.
His recommendation was extraction of all of my teeth and fixation of a number of implants, onto which he would attach removable hybrid prosthetics – a titanium arch, embedded in an acrylic denture – top and bottom, that would attach tothe implants like a press-stud – being removable for cleaning overnight.
The procedure would take place over a number of months and essentially be in 3 stages. The total cost was to be $32,000.
The cost – still shocking – was not entirely unexpected, as I’d been researching for some time at this point.
The deal-breakers for me where three-fold. I’d read that this type of appliance was still less than 100% stable, due to the way it is attached – and I struggled with the thought of waking-up of a morning and staring at my teeth on the bedside table. The absolute no-no for me was that this dentist did not have anesthesiology personnel in his practice, meaning I would be conscious during all of the procedures. That scuppered it for me.
Time to look elsewhere….
Because I absolutely could not even contemplate having an oral surgery of this magnitude and being
awake to experience all the joys of it, I started researching practices that had the capability to do this
under twilight sedation.
The practice I eventually landed on is local to me, has very positive reviews and I was able to research
the credentials (and reputations) of both the ortho-maxillary surgeon and the prosthodontist who would
be treating me.
When I arrived at the practice for my initial consultation, I got a little nervous. It was very swanky, ultra-
modern and in a high-tech medical park. It looked and felt expensive.
The first step was feasibility. They wanted to emphatically confirm that I had enough bone mass to
make the procedure viable – because in very advanced cases, there is no longer enough bone left to
support the implants. This exercise was assisted by a CT Scan, the results of which, are below.
|https://thumbsnap.com/FHh27bx6[/url]
It is very evident from this image, how far my disease had progressed. Many of my teeth were no longer
physically attached to my skull and only held in place by my particularly tough connective tissue.
My prosthodontist very succinctly put it when he commented, “There’s nothing wrong with your teeth,
it’s just that your skull is dissolving!”
Another issue (for me) was the critical bone loss in my upper jaw at the back of my mouth that made the
bone separation between my buccal cavity and the sinus above it was too thin to place an implant,
without the titanium screw infiltrating the sinus (that’s a bad thing).
The surgeon (who has performed more than 1200 of these procedures) then examined my images and
gave my gob a very thorough examination – and stated that I was a good candidate now, but would not
be if I left it another year.
Finally – the elephant in the room. To do the entire procedure – 5 implants in the upper, 4 in the lower
under sedation – all in one day, with temporary, ‘recovery’ prosthetics (temporary being 12-16 weeks)
fitted same day, immediately post-surgery – meaning I would not be without teeth at any point. The
prosthetics themselves would be Zirconia, the latest and greatest ceramic dental material – and all of
the short-term and mid-term consultations - $52,000.
Gulp…..
I went home to sleep on it.
I had the option to finance it – which the practice offered, but I just couldn’t justify the payments
(around $600 per month for several years). Another option was to explore having the procedure done
in Mexico or Eastern Europe, but I’d read a bunch of horror stories – and what if something went wrong
post-op. No US dentist would touch it without assuming some kind of liability.
There was another option – raid our ‘rainy-day’ fund and see if we could broker a discount for cash.
I called them the following day and offered $42k, which they said they couldn’t do, but we eventually
settled at $45k and scheduled the surgery for December 21 st 2021…
awake to experience all the joys of it, I started researching practices that had the capability to do this
under twilight sedation.
The practice I eventually landed on is local to me, has very positive reviews and I was able to research
the credentials (and reputations) of both the ortho-maxillary surgeon and the prosthodontist who would
be treating me.
When I arrived at the practice for my initial consultation, I got a little nervous. It was very swanky, ultra-
modern and in a high-tech medical park. It looked and felt expensive.
The first step was feasibility. They wanted to emphatically confirm that I had enough bone mass to
make the procedure viable – because in very advanced cases, there is no longer enough bone left to
support the implants. This exercise was assisted by a CT Scan, the results of which, are below.
|https://thumbsnap.com/FHh27bx6[/url]It is very evident from this image, how far my disease had progressed. Many of my teeth were no longer
physically attached to my skull and only held in place by my particularly tough connective tissue.
My prosthodontist very succinctly put it when he commented, “There’s nothing wrong with your teeth,
it’s just that your skull is dissolving!”
Another issue (for me) was the critical bone loss in my upper jaw at the back of my mouth that made the
bone separation between my buccal cavity and the sinus above it was too thin to place an implant,
without the titanium screw infiltrating the sinus (that’s a bad thing).
The surgeon (who has performed more than 1200 of these procedures) then examined my images and
gave my gob a very thorough examination – and stated that I was a good candidate now, but would not
be if I left it another year.
Finally – the elephant in the room. To do the entire procedure – 5 implants in the upper, 4 in the lower
under sedation – all in one day, with temporary, ‘recovery’ prosthetics (temporary being 12-16 weeks)
fitted same day, immediately post-surgery – meaning I would not be without teeth at any point. The
prosthetics themselves would be Zirconia, the latest and greatest ceramic dental material – and all of
the short-term and mid-term consultations - $52,000.
Gulp…..
I went home to sleep on it.
I had the option to finance it – which the practice offered, but I just couldn’t justify the payments
(around $600 per month for several years). Another option was to explore having the procedure done
in Mexico or Eastern Europe, but I’d read a bunch of horror stories – and what if something went wrong
post-op. No US dentist would touch it without assuming some kind of liability.
There was another option – raid our ‘rainy-day’ fund and see if we could broker a discount for cash.
I called them the following day and offered $42k, which they said they couldn’t do, but we eventually
settled at $45k and scheduled the surgery for December 21 st 2021…
Mikebentley said:
Wow, thanks Matt I enjoy your posts and am quite jealous of your fleet. Is there any kind of warranty for the work they are/have carried out?
Hi Mike Thanks and great question, regarding warranty.There are some very important do's and don'ts during the recovery period, which I will detail later. As long as those instructions are rigidly followed, all of the surgical and prostho-dontal work and the appliances prosthetics, implant hardware and attachment hardware is guaranteed for as long as I live. That is assuming that I maintain my 6 monthly check-up schedule from here on until I snuff-it.
Matt Harper said:
Mikebentley said:
Wow, thanks Matt I enjoy your posts and am quite jealous of your fleet. Is there any kind of warranty for the work they are/have carried out?
Hi Mike Thanks and great question, regarding warranty.There are some very important do's and don'ts during the recovery period, which I will detail later. As long as those instructions are rigidly followed, all of the surgical and prostho-dontal work and the appliances prosthetics, implant hardware and attachment hardware is guaranteed for as long as I live. That is assuming that I maintain my 6 monthly check-up schedule from here on until I snuff-it.
The next step in the process was to attend for a fairly intensive preparatory consultation that lasted
about 4 hours.
During that visit, several things happened. First a series of x-rays were taken – the results of which are
below. The more observant will notice that I actually lost another molar in the time between the CT
scan and these images.
They also performed a DXA bone density test on my maxilla (upper jaw) and mandible, to make sure
that my bones were strong enough to support the implants and tolerate the bite forces that these
prosthetics allow. This is very important, because I had sub-consciously been biting/chewing/tearing
tentatively for some time, as my natural teeth became less stable.
Next they did impressions of my mouth – the focus being on what they referred to as my ‘dental bench’
– that is to say, the protruding structures of my jaws that support(ed) my teeth.
They also did some quite intricate measurements of my mouth with all manner of fancy, digital
equipment. It transpired that my upper arch was more ‘V’ shaped than is optimal and the
prosthodontist told me they could re-shape it slightly, to make it more ‘U’ shaped, which would make
me less likely to bite my tongue with my new pearly-whites.
Talking of pearly-whites, the next step of this consult was to decide what my new teeth were going to
look like, in terms of shape, size and color. I didn’t want to make any significant changes – but more to
straighten things up (my two top incisors overlapped slightly) and give me a healthy looking grill.
When they showed me the color ranges I was very surprised how un-white natural teeth tend to be.
There was no way I wanted to go “Hollywood White”, but I wanted them to be a little brighter than my
natural teeth.
Interestingly, I would have around 3 months to live with my temporary “Recovery” prosthetics – and if I
choose to, I can change the cosmetic/aesthetics when it comes to how the permanents are going to
look.
Finally, they prescribed some medications to administer ahead of surgery, so that my mouth was as
healthy as possible, prior to the procedure. Because I’m allergic to penicillin, I was prescribed a course
of Clindamyacin and a twice daily oral rinse of chlorhexinadine gluconate.
As a side note, withing a week after start of this pre-surgery regimen, my gums stopped bleeding during
brushing and my whole mouth felt better in general, so something was working….
about 4 hours.
During that visit, several things happened. First a series of x-rays were taken – the results of which are
below. The more observant will notice that I actually lost another molar in the time between the CT
scan and these images.
They also performed a DXA bone density test on my maxilla (upper jaw) and mandible, to make sure
that my bones were strong enough to support the implants and tolerate the bite forces that these
prosthetics allow. This is very important, because I had sub-consciously been biting/chewing/tearing
tentatively for some time, as my natural teeth became less stable.
Next they did impressions of my mouth – the focus being on what they referred to as my ‘dental bench’
– that is to say, the protruding structures of my jaws that support(ed) my teeth.
They also did some quite intricate measurements of my mouth with all manner of fancy, digital
equipment. It transpired that my upper arch was more ‘V’ shaped than is optimal and the
prosthodontist told me they could re-shape it slightly, to make it more ‘U’ shaped, which would make
me less likely to bite my tongue with my new pearly-whites.
Talking of pearly-whites, the next step of this consult was to decide what my new teeth were going to
look like, in terms of shape, size and color. I didn’t want to make any significant changes – but more to
straighten things up (my two top incisors overlapped slightly) and give me a healthy looking grill.
When they showed me the color ranges I was very surprised how un-white natural teeth tend to be.
There was no way I wanted to go “Hollywood White”, but I wanted them to be a little brighter than my
natural teeth.
Interestingly, I would have around 3 months to live with my temporary “Recovery” prosthetics – and if I
choose to, I can change the cosmetic/aesthetics when it comes to how the permanents are going to
look.
Finally, they prescribed some medications to administer ahead of surgery, so that my mouth was as
healthy as possible, prior to the procedure. Because I’m allergic to penicillin, I was prescribed a course
of Clindamyacin and a twice daily oral rinse of chlorhexinadine gluconate.
As a side note, withing a week after start of this pre-surgery regimen, my gums stopped bleeding during
brushing and my whole mouth felt better in general, so something was working….
As someone who is terrifyingly phobic of
Denitistry in any form , I actually felt
Uncomfortable just reading that.
I have pretty poor teeth, mainly due to the above.
I’m missing a couple of front tooth and hate the way I look.
I’ve always said, they ONLY way I can have any work done is under full anaesthesia , which I can’t or won’t pay for….
I’d love to have a good smile again, but I’m 57 and it kind of feels like it’s just not worth the journey for me.
Denitistry in any form , I actually felt
Uncomfortable just reading that.
I have pretty poor teeth, mainly due to the above.
I’m missing a couple of front tooth and hate the way I look.
I’ve always said, they ONLY way I can have any work done is under full anaesthesia , which I can’t or won’t pay for….
I’d love to have a good smile again, but I’m 57 and it kind of feels like it’s just not worth the journey for me.
Something else came up during this run-up to surgery. The surgeon mentioned (almost in passing) that it was quite likely that I would need some bone-grafting as part of the procedure. The graft would be cadaver harvested material and this was a bit of a "wait.... what??" moment for me.
I don't really want to get into the gruesome mechanics of this - but my wife lightened the mood slightly by suggesting that I'm going to end up with a haunted mouth....
I don't really want to get into the gruesome mechanics of this - but my wife lightened the mood slightly by suggesting that I'm going to end up with a haunted mouth....
My surgery was confirmed for December 21st and as that day approached, my nervousness grew in intensity. This is very much a non-reversible process. However routine this surgery was for the practice, it was anything but, to me.
Prior to this, I had to have my General Practitioner clear me for surgery, which involved a full physical and blood-work. Everything checked out OK with that process, so it was now just a case of waiting for the big day.
They asked me to show-up at 6.30am and not to consume anything (even water) 8 hours prior to that time. This was going to be a bit of a problem for me, because getting an IV line in me, not having hydrated extensively beforehand, has historically been something of an ordeal.
It was still dark when we got there and we were shown into my personal recovery suite - very comfortable with a big, fully reclining Lazee-Boy, wi-fi, huge TV, coffee-maker, and drinks/snacks (for my chaperone (wife), not me!).
Next, the anesthesiologist introduced herself and told me what the procedure to knock me out entailed. It turns out that this form of sedation wasn't my first rodeo. I have had 3 prior colonoscopy procedures (routine screening) and have been sedated with the same cocktail during my arse-invasions. The sedation is a concoction of propofol, fentanyl, versed and ketamine.
This deeply sedates the patient, but does not incapacitate, because the patient needs to remain co-operative during the procedure.
I was totally OK with this, because I liken my previous experiences in this regard to being 'switched-off' - i.e. having zero recollection of the experience while sedated.
Additionally she told me my mouth and the front of my face would be numbed-up with a local anesthetic, being lidocaine.
Then Doctor Saw-Bones came in and re-introduced himself and gave me the civilian version of forthcoming events. By this point I was so nervous that I didn't hear too much of the grisly details. He did say that I should expect some facial swelling, black eyes and tenderness around my throat and neck, post-operatively - and that this was quite a bloody procedure, given how vascular the mouth and gums is. He said that when I came-around, I would not have any teeth, but my mouth, tongue and lips would be so numb (and stuffed with gauze), that it wouldn't be distressing. The prosthetics would be installed - usually about 4 hours post-surgery, when they had established that bleeding had ceased.
On that happy note, I was invited to step into the operating theatre - and my wife bailed - went home and waited for the call to say I was done and re-toothed...
Prior to this, I had to have my General Practitioner clear me for surgery, which involved a full physical and blood-work. Everything checked out OK with that process, so it was now just a case of waiting for the big day.
They asked me to show-up at 6.30am and not to consume anything (even water) 8 hours prior to that time. This was going to be a bit of a problem for me, because getting an IV line in me, not having hydrated extensively beforehand, has historically been something of an ordeal.
It was still dark when we got there and we were shown into my personal recovery suite - very comfortable with a big, fully reclining Lazee-Boy, wi-fi, huge TV, coffee-maker, and drinks/snacks (for my chaperone (wife), not me!).
Next, the anesthesiologist introduced herself and told me what the procedure to knock me out entailed. It turns out that this form of sedation wasn't my first rodeo. I have had 3 prior colonoscopy procedures (routine screening) and have been sedated with the same cocktail during my arse-invasions. The sedation is a concoction of propofol, fentanyl, versed and ketamine.
This deeply sedates the patient, but does not incapacitate, because the patient needs to remain co-operative during the procedure.
I was totally OK with this, because I liken my previous experiences in this regard to being 'switched-off' - i.e. having zero recollection of the experience while sedated.
Additionally she told me my mouth and the front of my face would be numbed-up with a local anesthetic, being lidocaine.
Then Doctor Saw-Bones came in and re-introduced himself and gave me the civilian version of forthcoming events. By this point I was so nervous that I didn't hear too much of the grisly details. He did say that I should expect some facial swelling, black eyes and tenderness around my throat and neck, post-operatively - and that this was quite a bloody procedure, given how vascular the mouth and gums is. He said that when I came-around, I would not have any teeth, but my mouth, tongue and lips would be so numb (and stuffed with gauze), that it wouldn't be distressing. The prosthetics would be installed - usually about 4 hours post-surgery, when they had established that bleeding had ceased.
On that happy note, I was invited to step into the operating theatre - and my wife bailed - went home and waited for the call to say I was done and re-toothed...
Matt Harper said:
Something else came up during this run-up to surgery. The surgeon mentioned (almost in passing) that it was quite likely that I would need some bone-grafting as part of the procedure. The graft would be cadaver harvested material and this was a bit of a "wait.... what??" moment for me.
I don't really want to get into the gruesome mechanics of this - but my wife lightened the mood slightly by suggesting that I'm going to end up with a haunted mouth....
I've got some dead guys achilles tendons in my knee. I don't really want to get into the gruesome mechanics of this - but my wife lightened the mood slightly by suggesting that I'm going to end up with a haunted mouth....
Weird when you think about the journey that tissue has had.
Would love to get my teeth fixed.
They're not terrible but I'm suffering from 90's NHS children's dentistry and parents who didn't want any intervention.
The cost is obviously fairly prohibitive but it's the fact that while my teeth are wonky they're not fundamentally damaged or broken so the prospect of having them taken out or filed down for veneers fills me with dread, even though I know the outcome will be 10x better than what I've got.
I actually avoid smiling if I can so I really should get them sorted.
They're not terrible but I'm suffering from 90's NHS children's dentistry and parents who didn't want any intervention.
The cost is obviously fairly prohibitive but it's the fact that while my teeth are wonky they're not fundamentally damaged or broken so the prospect of having them taken out or filed down for veneers fills me with dread, even though I know the outcome will be 10x better than what I've got.
I actually avoid smiling if I can so I really should get them sorted.
Turn7 said:
As someone who is terrifyingly phobic of
Denitistry in any form , I actually felt
Uncomfortable just reading that.
I have pretty poor teeth, mainly due to the above.
I’m missing a couple of front tooth and hate the way I look.
I’ve always said, they ONLY way I can have any work done is under full anaesthesia , which I can’t or won’t pay for….
I’d love to have a good smile again, but I’m 57 and it kind of feels like it’s just not worth the journey for me.
Mark - I totally hear what you are saying here - I very much felt the same way - to a degree. Two things swayed me.Denitistry in any form , I actually felt
Uncomfortable just reading that.
I have pretty poor teeth, mainly due to the above.
I’m missing a couple of front tooth and hate the way I look.
I’ve always said, they ONLY way I can have any work done is under full anaesthesia , which I can’t or won’t pay for….
I’d love to have a good smile again, but I’m 57 and it kind of feels like it’s just not worth the journey for me.
I can't really do my job effectively with a mouth like a pan of smashed crabs. I had to get this fixed before my appearance started to go down the crapper. That's not vanity - more necessity.
Secondly, my wonderful wife reminded me that this was an investment in my future. I'm older than you, but I still believe she is right. It is worth it from a self-confidence, self-esteem and self-care perspective.
Something else really impacted me very, very significantly. No matter how fixated you become regarding oral hygiene, periodontal disease causes halitosis - stinky breath. That alone swayed me.
I know that I'm lucky to have been in a position that I could afford to go ahead with this - and that it isn't an option clinically, or financially for everyone. I am very sympathetic to anyone who is in the same bind that I was.
ChocolateFrog said:
Would love to get my teeth fixed.
They're not terrible but I'm suffering from 90's NHS children's dentistry and parents who didn't want any intervention.
The cost is obviously fairly prohibitive but it's the fact that while my teeth are wonky they're not fundamentally damaged or broken so the prospect of having them taken out or filed down for veneers fills me with dread, even though I know the outcome will be 10x better than what I've got.
I actually avoid smiling if I can so I really should get them sorted.
This makes an enormous amount of sense to me too.They're not terrible but I'm suffering from 90's NHS children's dentistry and parents who didn't want any intervention.
The cost is obviously fairly prohibitive but it's the fact that while my teeth are wonky they're not fundamentally damaged or broken so the prospect of having them taken out or filed down for veneers fills me with dread, even though I know the outcome will be 10x better than what I've got.
I actually avoid smiling if I can so I really should get them sorted.
Were it just a case of wonky, but otherwise healthy teeth and gums, I would have left things just as they were. My problem was that my dental status was on a downward slide, that was past repairing and preservation of my natural teeth was not a long-term reality.
Matt Harper said:
Just a gut-check here - I'm concerned that this thread might be coming across as self-indulgent. I started it in response to someone else showing interest in my experience of this.
I'll delete it if it isn't appropriate...
No it's very interesting and I for one really want to know the outcome.I'll delete it if it isn't appropriate...
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