Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryanna
Hi Jane,
Adapting to a new denture will be challenging. Everyone has their own story about this journey and most people find ways to deal very well with the denture as time goes on. It is important that the denture fit as well as possible and that should be a priority for your dentist to see that he does that for you. Some people have little to no problem right from the beginning and others need many adjustments during the healing phase.
It really will help you feel better mentally if you remind yourself from time to time that you have removed the infected teeth for the betterment of your overall health. That thought is an affirmation that you have done something positive and in spite of the challenges ahead, you are so much healthier for making this choice. As you heal, things will settle down and you will feel better and better about your decision.
Please let us know how your dental visit goes today...
Bryanna
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Appointment went well. Oral Surgeon said I'm healing very well and had a nice ridge formation (have no idea what that is, but he seemed pleased). He said he was glad the dentist was making a new denture and requested I wear it for a few days and let him see it before I made any adjustments. I said I would. He said I had good bone and thought I would be ready in July for implants. He explained different options, but I got confused and he said he'd go over everything in detail in July. My impression was that he thought I could work with two implants on the bottom and seeing if I could live with the upper without implants.
He knows money is a problem for me and also explained that they now have generic implants which cost about 1/4 of the price of regular implants. He did stress that he has not used them and cannot assure me about how well they work. He compared them to generic drugs which work well in general. But he did not have experience with them.
My numbness is almost gone. He was pleased to hear and said the laser treatments might have speeded up the healing. He was sure it would have gone away on its own without the laser. He showed me, on my x-ray how my nerve runs in my bottom jaw. He said he would have to work around it if I got implants. The nerve is close to where the implant would go. He explained about placing implants at an angle to avoid damaging the nerve. He said he'd take new x-rays in July to reassess where to place the implants.
All in all, the visit went well. I always feel good when I see him, he seems very confident and helps me relax. My regular dentist is another story and I want to change dentist but she's making me a new denture at her cost (which she keeps reminding me). Part of the problems I've had with the denture is that when it was first put in, it was too loose and kept falling out. It also was too long and I would get an ear-ache each time I opened my mouth. It hit on the nerve by the hinge of my jaw. So, she cut the dentures but cut them too short. So theres no suction and they keep falling out. I haven't been able to chew anything. I do not want to work with her after getting the new denture. If she has to fix it to take the implants, I don't trust she knows how to do it. She seems unsure of herself which doesn't help me feel better. We'll see what happens.
Thank you for your support, it helps so much. I don't know if I can save up enough money for the implants but I hope I can do something.
Jane