Tag: orthodontist

This week will be the week?

It’s been a while!

It has been little bit silent again. Most of the time I have been waiting and waiting and waiting. I don’t have all answers yet. Don’t know if I have to start the braces treatment. Or do I have to start with the implant immediately? This week might be the week to get the final treatment plan!

First the implant surgeon didn’t send my medical record to my dentist. So I had to ask her over and over again to share it with my dentist (and orthodontist). We have been waiting for this report since my in-take appointment in July. Delays, delays, delays 🙁

I have been sending emails and made some phone-calls… Now finally end of September we received the report. The report states that:

  • My front tooth needs to be extracted to get rid of the root infection.
  • Orthodontic extrusion is not needed. We can skip that.
  • Orthodontic treatment is still possible but can be done independent from the implant placement.

Now what does the orthodontist say?

So I tried to contact the orthodontist… Again: It took weeks to get a response. Looks like there was a misunderstanding. After receiving the Implant report my orthodontist thought that a braces treatment was not necessary anymore. This is strange because she suggested to get braces installed to make room for the implant? Remember?

I managed to have a call with the orthodontist last week. I asked her what to do: Do I need to start a braces treatment or not? Is there any reason to skip the braces and move on with the implant? She told me she will contact the implant surgeon and see what to do. On Thursday 27th of October (This week!) I have an appointment with the orthodontist to see how we can move on. Let’s see what this week will bring!

by bracesat44

I’m feeling little bit frustrated

I started this journey in July 2021. Hoping to find a solution to fix my front tooth. In the meantime I know it cannot be saved. To come to this conclusion I had to pay +/- 1000€ (in total). Now I was hoping to get my final treatment plan. But for some reason things are slowing down. At this very moment I still don’t know when my braces will be installed nor do I know when the implant can be installed. As I’m getting older AND I’m not THAT keen on starting a braces treatment at adult age… I’m getting a little bit frustrated.

Last week I called to the implantologist again asking about the medical file that should have been sent to my dentist end of July. The receptionist told me the file was NOT YET (?) sent to my dentist and/or orthodontist. I can’t believe she didn’t do this even after sending her 2 emails. And things even got worse… she will be on honeymoon for the next 2 weeks. (1 week passed already).

I also sent and email to my dentist, asking her (again) if she received my medical record from the implantologist. But also there… no reaction!

I felt very frustrated so I called another implant surgeon. I did some research on the internet. The surgeon is working in a hospital close to the orthodontist practice. But again… another “problem” popped up. I asked for an appointment… They have scheduled me on January 4th !!!!!! 🙁 They can’t be serious? That means I’m almost trying 2 years to fix that tooth!!! I really don’t want to think about this and hope that my dentist or the surgeon will contact me ASAP.

I feel ready now. The sooner I get news from the orthodontist and implantologist, the better! I’ll just jump into the treatment with or without adult braces but hopefully with a new front tooth implant!

by bracesat44

Waiting waiting and waiting

On 26th of May I decided to send an email to my orthodontist. I have told her that I prefer to give up my front tooth and go for the implant. I’m getting impatient and don’t want to wait for the periodontist appointment end of this year (October 2022). The periodontist already responded to my email telling me he will cancel the surgery. (I don’t think he is happy with my decision). My orthodontist sent me another email and told me I should talk to my dentist now to get me in touch with an implant surgeon. After my x visits to dentists, orthodontists, endodontologists, periodontists,… I’ll end-up with a visit to an implant surgeon… How complex can it be? Waiting, waiting and waiting.

So the next thing I did was sending an email to my dentist to bring me in contact with an implant surgeon. But my dentist will be on holiday until June 7th… So I have to wait again to see what will come next.

I know, that with this decision (to give up my front tooth), things will get serious. I’ll have to wait for my dentist now to bring me in contact with the implant surgeon. After that, my orthodontist told me she will contact the surgeon and see if she can use braces to try to save as much bone as possible. I described this special “bone grafting”-procedure on my previous blog post (option 2). This would be the only and really only reason why I would consider starting to wear braces at my adult age 🙁 My worst nightmare is coming closer and closer.

But I know I HAVE to do something. Waiting is not an option anymore. I want to find a solution to stabilize the bone loss around my top front tooth.

by bracesat44

Use braces to extrude my tooth?

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.

Option 2 as suggested by the orthodontist today. Bone grafting while wearing braces!

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!

by bracesat44

My second orthodontist opinion

On April 21th I had my second opinion appointment at an orthodontist. After arriving in the ortho office I waited in the waiting room. I had to wait for more than 45 minutes! (You have to know I had to do this appointment during my working hours.) Each and every other patient was allowed to get in first 🙁 That way my appointment already started disappointing 🙁

Finally the doctor picked me up and asked me to get into the chair: “So, tell me what can I do for you?”. The ortho-office is located in the same office as my general dentist. I was hoping she knew about my situation or at least she got informed by my dentist. NOT. That was the second disappointment. I had to explain everything from A to Z (again). About the front tooth, the implant and the braces. She inspected my teeth in detail and concluded… “Oh, you don’t need braces! Just go for the implant and everything will be fine! Hopefully you can keep your front tooth and no implant is needed!”.

A 14 minute examination to conclude I don’t need braces. This outcome contradicts (First orthodontist appointment) 100% with the conclusion of the other orthodontist (the one at my periodontist office). So that’s the 3rd disappointment. Oh and she invoiced 45 € for a 14 minute examination 🙁

I have to wait now for my appointment at my periodontist on May 16th. Hopefully he can clarify what to do. Strange that 2 orthodontists have 100% different conclusions. Isn’t it? In one way this makes me nervous because I don’t know what option will be the best?

But it gives me hope too. Because this might mean I DON’T need to start braces treatment! And of course THAT would be great news! But what about the implant? Time will tell…

by bracesat44