A Man Got New Teeth!

[andrewfi]

I have been walking around for ages with a broken tooth near the front of my mouth for ages. I planned to sort out the issue before Covid hit and then the plague hit and getting such work done was more difficult.

Anyway, Last year, I had, once again got the funds together, strapped on my big boy pants (I have something of a dental phobia—or I did at the time) and went to see a local dental practice.

I had talked with a couple of laces in the UK. My local dentist, whom I had used in the past, could do the work at a price that was not extortionate. A second outfit specialized in whole mouth replacement.

The local guy warned against having all my teeth done for a reason that seemed odd at first. Something I had not read about elsewhere. He told me that many people who go the full replacement route regret it because the implants do not move and so feel very unnatural. The second place did not want me as a client because they only did full mouth replacements but did not remove as many teeth as I was looking at.

I looked at doing it in Spain. Very inexpensive, English speaking cosmetic dentists, but time and convenience ruled against me. I was also a tad concerned about the possible need to return for follow-up visits. That also ruled out Turkey.

I ended up going to a place in Tallinn. I had hoped to get the job knocked off fast. The process started in September of 2023. The final implant session was a week or so ago. I have one more visit in a couple of weeks. They are going to do a final filling, which will correct the colour of one of my existing front teeth for a more even finish to my smile (grimace).

I needed additional dental work done to get my mouth healthy, which led to delays. I also needed some bone material transplanted which took time to be ready for the implants.

It seems that promises of single session implantation are actually pretty rare and require everything else to be perfect before the process can be carried out.

The surgeon, a woman, as is often the case over here, took heed of my concerns about their work and my phobia. To settle my nerves in the first session, she and her female nurse, also female, sang to me while they worked. it was weird but effective.

I needed extractions, root canal work, and fillings. Along the way, they reshaped a couple of existing teeth. I also ended up with a different set of implants than those originally specified, as one of my teeth was not strong enough for the planned bridge. So I ended up with an additional implant.

After the teeth were implanted, I quickly understood the warning from the British dentist about how the teeth would feel. He was absolutely correct. If my whole mouth were to feel as the replacements do, I think I would be very unhappy. I can live with the sensation of a lack of movement and sensation in part of my mouth, but not the whole thing.

I was amazed, having watched a load of videos about the process, that the process was almost entirely pain and discomfort free. They took great care and used anesthesia appropriately and mindfully.

While I did not notice problems with eating before, I can say that eating is easier and more comfortable now. I think that my speech has also improved. The missing tooth seemed to give me something of a lisp that I noticed; perhaps others did not.

I have lost my dentist phobia. I would be lying if I said I looked forward to the visits, but I had no great concerns about them and felt comfortable most of the time.

The cost was higher than I had originally been told, but I ended up with more deferred maintenance, an additional extraction, and one more implant, actually a bridge from an adjoining implant. It was about €1300 per tooth replaced, including the other dental work along the way. The implants are zirconium which was their preferred option. The 'teeth' are ceramic of some kind.

I was told I needed to up my flossing game. To be truthful, flossing and I have been lifelong strangers. I tried using dental floss, and a couple of little brushes they gave me. I have purchased a water flosser. it is quick, easy and leaves my mouth feeling really clean and fresh. I wonder what state my teeth would have been in if I had used one of them in the past?

By the way, although I had been a dentist avoider for many years, my teeth were overall not in bad condition; however, we found out why I needed the replacements. Many years ago, I had a motorcycle accident in which I broke my neck and other parts of me. I was not wearing a helmet at the time. In the accident, my head took a big impact. I had been warned that the teeth on the left side of my head had been damaged, but there was nothing to be done at the time, and I did nothing in the decades afterward. Making matters worse, my jaw was misaligned, again from the impact, so I was using the teeth wrongly, placing additional pressure on them.

The surgeon suggested not replacing all the missing teeth on that side of my jaw due to the misalignment. I am not going to do anything about the misalignment, and I see no need to upset what has been working for many years.

Basically, if you need some teeth replaced, I, as a former dental phobic, am here to say, go do it! Apart from your appearance, eating will likely improve, and you may find smaller issues such as your speech improving.

Oh, one last thing. I asked about having a 'Hollywood smile'. The surgeon said no, it was not a good idea. Her thinking was that they could make the implanted teeth in whatever colour I wanted. They could make my natural teeth pearly white, and I'd have a brilliant white smile. On the downside, I would need to be willing to undergo regular whitening, probably every six months, to maintain the matching between the implants and natural gnashers. That's possibly OK, but she reckoned that doing so would lead to deterioration in the condition of the natural teeth over time, so I decided to stick with the existing colouration.

Don't be scared of getting this work done. I understand that it is much more expensive in the USA, but it is an investment that should last me the rest of my life - 20 years or so. This isn't something that one keeps on doing!

[Faux Pas]

Congrats on your new grill. The singing is certainly a new twist I have never heard of before. I've always had a doom sense of dread knowing I've a dental appointment coming up even for just a cleaning. I always opt for the gas and generally quite enjoy it. I've never had an extensive procedure(s) as apparently you just had but I can relate to the phobia

[andrewfi]

Yeah, I feel really bad about the phobia thing. It goes back to when I was a kid. My mum took us to a dentist who was a smoker. Back in the days before they wore gloves all the time.

His thumbs tasted 🤮. Also, back then drill were slower and hurt. By the time I was old enough to make my own choices, I never went back to him and only got dentisted when I really needed it. Not a good move.

The singing amazed me, but I am sure that I was not the first to enjoy that. Afterward, each session I had either music or videos to watch.

The whole process was quite pleasant. All the staff were communicative at all stages so I knew what was going on and felt reassured. The receptionist always called me Mr Andrew which was odd and she seemed to take delight in doing so. Calling me out in that way as I entered the place or returned from the surgery. Nobody else got that treatment.

But yeah, Dentores, in Tallinn, top marks from me for value, skill and service.

I don't know if this happens in the USA, but apart from the receptionist, the staff work in more than one place, for different companies.

[Manny]

I have purchased a water flosser. it is quick, easy and leaves my mouth feeling really clean and fresh. I wonder what state my teeth would have been in if I had used one of them in the past?

I bought a water flosser maybe 6 months ago and I love it. When I went for my last hygiene appointment, my gum health had improved since the time before. I like to bung a little mouthwash in mine before the water, so it's a slightly antiseptic squirt going on.

I agree you did not want the whiter-than-white, all-identical American look. They look like a row of B&Q tiles.

[Steveboy]

Ohhhh Christ!! If there is one place I stay away from it's the dentist... I clean my teeth 10 times a day and make sure I can stay away from the dentist.. The dentist and spiders .. I just cant do it.. 

They can send a helicopter to Mars and do all sorts of stuff, for Christs sake you would of thought by now they would have some kind of treatment where your put to sleep OR have a few Vodka's wake up a few hours later and the jobs done!

Probably will need to go soon, but Im looking around for a special "Pussy man" Dentist for babies 

[andrewfi]

Stefan, I was like you. You can't imagine my trepidation before wandering in to start the work. It was bad enough on my first visit for inspection and to outline the work.

But the outcome is one that I am very happy with. I can't say 'dont be scared of the dentist', but I can say, get it sorted out. My whole mouth feels better for the work. I feel more confident eating and my tongue no longer catches on the chipped tooth that it used to do.

The only issue is that I've had to learn how to sneeze! It might sound daft, but after the new gnashers we're fitted, each time I sneezed I bit my tongue. I think I've mastered the issue, but initially I thought I'd need some adjustments to stop it happening.

Manny, I will try the mouthwash idea.

[AvHdB]

(I have something of a dental phobia)

Good job!

I also have a phobia for dentists, perhaps with good reason. I am most likely the only 12-year-old who went in an ambulance together with my dentist to the ER. He with a broken finger and me with a severe cut on my inner cheek. I broke his finger, biting him after he lost the drill in my cheek.

Anyways I am also moving to implants, slowly. Thank you for your insights.

[Bodine]

Ohhhh Christ!! If there is one place I stay away from it's the dentist... I clean my teeth 10 times a day and make sure I can stay away from the dentist.. The dentist and spiders .. I just cant do it.. 

Chalk me up as one of those, too. But I do have a great excuse why I carried this phobic attitude for a while.

I was born and spent my early childhood years in Manila. At the time, things and economy weren't favorable, much less for those near the bottom level of society. Everything has a price, and lacking a national social net, dental care and treatment was barely reachable except for the rich and famous.

Consequently, for many of us, if and when we do need to get dental care, treatment program is measured by how much you can pay. It starts from office visit, examination, x-rays, materials, etc...all the way down to each component of the treatment, with the last chargeable item being 'anesthesia'.

You can do the math from there.

[andrewfi]

(I have something of a dental phobia)

Good job!

I also have a phobia for dentists, perhaps with good reason. I am most likely the only 12-year-old who went in an ambulance together with my dentist to the ER. He with a broken finger and me with a severe cut on my inner cheek. I broke his finger, biting him after he lost the drill in my cheek.

Anyways I am also moving to implants, slowly. Thank you for your insights.

Grisly story. No wonder you are chary about dentistry!

I was fortunate to find the right people and place to do the work. I explained my issues; of course, I was not the first and probably not the worst, but they made every effort to reassure me and assuage my fears. I was expecting to visit quite a few places. Price was not the main driver. My confidence in the people was what drove my choice!

Bodine, I understand that! The place I went to did not even itemise such things as anesthesia. They gave me a rough price at the outset and made it clear that it might vary according to the final work needed. I paid for each step along the way. I knew the approximate price of the final session was about €2,300. I ended up having two large bills and several very small ones for the intermediate work—fillings, root canal, extractions, etc.

[B.B.]

Congrats, Andrew.  I hope it works out for you.

B/B

[andrewfi]

Thanks, no problems so far - apart from the tongue biting. But as that's now gone, I look forward to years of good service from the implants. I'd expected a much less positive process. The results are better than I had worried about from seeing too many YouTube videos of dental disasters.

[Bodine]

Bodine, I understand that! The place I went to did not even itemise such things as anesthesia. They gave me a rough price at the outset and made it clear that it might vary according to the final work needed. I paid for each step along the way. I knew the approximate price of the final session was about €2,300. I ended up having two large bills and several very small ones for the intermediate work—fillings, root canal, extractions, etc.

I'm glad you got through this regardless of cost.

In my case I cited above, the two times I had to go we didn't quite have 100% of the funds in both occasions. 

[andrewfi]

If I were doing this in the US, I think I would have had to save up for longer.

I might even have chosen to take myself down Mexico way.

I am far from rich, but I had budgeted for the expense. Twice actually. The first time was before the plague hit us. I spent the money in the following months and years. Then I re-prepared myself. I had an idea of what the cost would be.

I looked at this as an investment in myself, and it is, I think, the most money I have ever spent on myself. I wish I had done it a long time ago, the bloody phobia held me back. if it were not for my brain holding me back from a rational action, I would almost certainly not have needed to do as much work as I did - or spend as much money!

[andrewfi]

Phase one - complete.

I just had a final checkup and the dentist took the opportunity to do a cosmetic filling on one of my teeth to correct some discoloration. She also reshaped a couple of the others to give a better bite and more even appearance.

Cost was a massive €66.00.

She suggested an add-on sale. Another implant and crown on the other side of my mouth. Not visible but will improve my eating. That's going to cost €1300.00 all-in. That's for an extraction, implant and crown.

Still very happy with how everything worked out.
I asked how well the water flossing device I purchased was working out. She told me that everything was perfect. No plaque buildup. So that's two thumbs up to the little Panasonic.

The receptionist gave me a bit of a surprise. While I was waiting to go in, she called me over and told me a 'secret', I am, in her opinion, her favourite client. 

So, later in the year, I might go back and do this other tooth.

Oh, I am no longer scared of the dentist. I had no anesthesia for the last work and I found I was hardly clenching my hands while they were doing their stuff. Also, no need to recover from stress afterward.

[Manny]

Sounds like a full reinvention is underway, now slimmer and with new gnashers. New bird on the horizon? Dentist's receptionist maybe?

[andrewfi]

Sounds like a full reinvention is underway, now slimmer and with new gnashers. New bird on the horizon? Dentist's receptionist maybe?

The receptionist is a lovely lady; however, she is almost as old as I am and looks like every kid's favourite granny!

Not a complete reinvention, but putting in place some postponed maintenance. On the upside, at my age, it is unlikely that I will need to redo the new teefs.

I like Olga and hope that she is around for a long time.