Today I have returned from my periodontist appointment. The appointment started exactly at the schedule hour. First he checked all the pockets on each and every tooth. Then he checked my gum and stability of my teeth. Most of my teeth are acceptable (pockets varying from 2mm to 3 mm. Some are 4mm), except from the pocket around my front tooth 🙁 It didn’t workout as expected. After 3 months it looks like I’m still nowhere. I came to the conclusion I better give up my front tooth definitely. So what are the next steps? What are my options? What did I learn today? An important question came forward: Use braces to extrude my tooth?
Option 1: Try to save the tooth by adding bone graft material to the vertical pocket, next to my front tooth. A 2h procedure. The periodontist will have to do some “magic” with my red and white blood cells to create some kind of bone graft that can be put in place. Because the periodontist is pretty busy, this can only happen end of October! 🙁 The final outcome of the procedure is still not 100%. So even after this procedure I might still loose my front tooth after waiting for another 6 months. Having to restart over again and moving to option 2.
Option 2: I learned about this option “by accident”. While finishing my appointment, the orthodontist did hear about my bone graft conversation and the next steps as described in option 1. She told me there is a possibility to use braces to “generate” some bone. I have found some information about this procedure here! The bracket can be used to pull my front tooth down slowly. While moving downward some bone will be generated. This might be sufficient to put an implant in place.
To be honest, I started thinking about option 2 while driving home. Option 1 is not 100% sure it will work. My general practitioner (doctor) will have to be involved (to take blood). The periodontist will have to cut in my gum. I will have to wait for X months again AND it will cost +600€ again… Even when the procedure is successful my front tooth might give up one day (in 5, 10 or 20 years) ending up with a gap in my front row,… Getting an implant at 60 years old, won’t be so easy.
Option 2 might short-cut time (yes time is ticking and I want to move forward) & will fix the dead tooth, and the issues with my crooked tooth. Also it will start to bring some stability in this whole story. Way to many uncertainties and I hate it.
Today I was hoping for the perio to tell me he was able to save my front tooth. Not needing implant, not needing braces. But it looks like I’m going to give up on this idea, move forward. Get the braces and fix the tooth with the implant!
What I will do next? I will call the ortho-office tomorrow and ask if we can skip Option 1 and just move on with Option 2. That means I’ll have to find some guts to explain I decided to go for the braces and implant 🙁 Will keep you posted!