Ramble Ramble

Today, after a year and a half of dealing with it, I finished up the drama that has been my dental implant. Hallelujah! Bright and early this morning, I was plopped down at the dentists’ office getting the crown put on after being toothless for about 18 months.

Two things about this. First, the sensations of having a torque wrench inside your head are very very strange. I felt a little like a bionic woman sent back to the shop for repairs. Second, after being without a tooth for this long, it’s like my tongue doesn’t know where to go anymore. It keeps bumping into the crown, like, hey, where’d you come from?

Because this tooth is one of my back molars, I’ve gotten really used to eating on one side of my head–you know, not having a tooth back there makes masticating a little harder than it should be. (ooh, big word alert). So I’m going to have to retrain myself that it’s ok to chew on that side of my head. I wonder if on that side of my jaw, the muscles are weaker now that I’ve not been eating with them for so long?

Despite all the nonsense, I’m really glad I decided to do the implant. After 3 root canals on this tooth and a dentist telling me I could look forward to having to redo the work back there every 3 years or so, the 18 month waiting period for the implant to be done seems like a bargain.

Plus, I get to say I have titanium–in my skull.

Over a year after part 2 of the dental implant process, today I was supposed to have part 3 done–which consists of attaching an exposed metal post to the portion that is in my jawbone. After that, they can (finally) put the crown on.

But, of course, nothing with my teeth is ever easy. This time, the post they were going to attach was too large for the piece that’s currently in my head. Since they only way they know this is by going in and trying to attach the thing, we got through that whole process before figuring things out. So now, I’ve got to wait a week for them to get the correct part in the correct size. Oh, and by the way, I now have the post exposed through the gum line. REAL pleasant, lemme tell you.

I’m just so tired of this whole thing. I had hoped to be done with this by mid-August, but now it looks like it’ll be closer to September. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not so bad–I mean, I’ve been without a tooth over there for about 18 months, what’s another few weeks, right? But I hate having this dental work hanging over my head. I just want it to be DONE already.

Well, one dental implant, one (unexpected) bone graft, one week of antibiotics & vicodin, and a boatload of stitches later and I’m finally recovering from my lovely little dental procedure last week. They ended up having to do a bone graft with the implant (not planned, and not so fun), and I now have to have 7 months without the crown instead of 3. Assuming the implant isn’t rejected. Fun.

Anyway, my face is back to its normal size and all the bruising is gone, and we’re now heading into the final week of work. It’s bizarre that I’m willingly becoming unemployed. But we’ll freak out about that later.

The boxes are starting to pile up in the apartment, making it very real (even as it’s very surreal). I can’t wait, but I’m not sure it’s really hit me yet.

Today is the second part of my dental implant mess. Today is when they go in and actually implant the titanium into my jawbone. Should be good times. Soup for dinner anyone? I’m not looking forward to it (or the next couple of achy days), but I’m thrilled to be taking care of this freaking tooth that has been a problem for at least 10 years, if not more. A few days of pain to not have to worry about it anymore is worth it.

We had a very productive weekend…we started packing (yay!), cleaning out closets and files and whatnot. It makes me even more anxious to move. 19 days and counting…

I’m in horrible shape. After packing up a measly 10 or so boxes, I already am sore and stiff. Yowza. I’ll have time on my hands when we hit California, though, so when not looking for a job, I can test out the gym equipment at the apartment complex. And if no one’s around, the pool. Must get back in shape.

everyone seems to have had where all their teeth fall out? Welcome to my reality. I have CRAPPY teeth, have for years, partly having to do with genetics, partly those 8 years or so when I didn’t have dental insurance or the $$ to take care of them, and partly my own failures in the dental care arena.

While my teeth aren’t technically falling out, they might as well be. I’ve been told by my dentist that I need a dental implant on one tooth. I made the mistake of looking that procedure up online–I won’t horrify you all with the images, but suffice it to say…Icky. The process includes removing a tooth and the root structure, and then surgically attaching the implant to the jawbone. It’s not a pretty process, let me tell you. Or a short one (start to finish it’ll take about 6 months, unless I need a bone graft on my jawbone, then up to a year). Or a cheap one, even though I’m lucky that my insurance covers it.

On top of all that, there’s the slight wig out at the fact that at 27, I’m already losing my real teeth. I mean, really? Already? I used to joke that I’d have dentures by the time I was 40. Looks like my joking was more prophesy. AND I overestimated. Crap.