Today I have sent a mail to my general dentist asking her how to proceed. I asked her if she already received the medical report of my last visit at the implantologist / periodontist. For some reason she was able to reply back to me in one hour. She told me she didn’t receive the report yet but advised me to contact both the orthodontist and periodontist to start working on a plan. I have already sent an email last week to the periodontist and will write an email tomorrow to the orthodontist.
I remember my orthodontist asking about who will put the implant in place. So now I can give her the information and see what will happen next. My orthodontist might contact the periodontist soon!
Oh my dentist will be on holiday until end of this month and she told me she will look into the medical report afterwards. So probably things will slow down a bit until after summer holidays. Will get back as soon as I get more information from my orthodontist!
Last Tuesday (July 5th) I visited a new periodontist office. My last visit in May at another periodontist office ended-up with double feelings. She suggested to get a second periodontist appointment with focus on implants… I was able to schedule that appointment pretty quickly. That appointment happened last Tuesday.
Arriving quiet on time I ended up in the dentist chair. An assistant told me she would take some X-rays first. (I even didn’t see the perio yet!). Immediately I felt very nervous and didn’t want to get X-rays again. So I started explaining her that I already had many X-rays taken in the last few months. I asked her if she was able to see those pictures in my medical file, but for some reason she couldn’t fine any usable picture except from the pictures taken at my very first dentist appointment.
I was not able to convince her. She told me that they needed other pictures that are compatible with their medical systems. In my opinion this gave me a very strange an uncomfortable impression. So I had to get out of the chair and follow her. Again X-rays like those I had before at my first ortho appoitment. But I really had to go through with it. After taking the X-Ray the assistant invited me to get back to the chair. Then she took another kind of photo-machine and explained me she would take +7000 pictures (!) with a special device (some kind of toothbrush). Thank God this was not an X-ray device. It took 10 minutes to take the pictures ending up with a 3D rotating model of my teeth. Pretty cool! I think this was the only type of pictures I never experiences before! 😉
Then the assistant disappeared… and I had to wait for 20 long minutes! Again waiting, waiting, waiting. Remember? Finally the periodontist arrived and started examining my mouth. (Like my previous first perio appointment). She told me my gum, bone and teeth were pretty stabilized. I was happy to hear that. But then she added: “But I’m afraid the pocket around your tooth 21 is way too deep, the tooth is lost :(“
This moment was the first moment that I really felt I have to give up my tooth. She explained me what to expect from an implant. I even was able to explain her that I’m interested in some kind of extrusion procedure (As described here). I also explained about my crooked teeth and that I’m seriously considering getting braces IF I can combine it with a fake tooth and the extrusion procedure. After discussing the eventual procedure she told me she will get back with a pricing estimate.
In the meantime I received the estimate. Also the plan was included:
The implant procedure will cost me 1780€ (!). Extracting the tooth / putting the implant in place / temporary crown / some biological bone placement.
Also there might be some extra gum procedures needed depending on how easy my gum will heal. (+370€ optional).
Also finale check. (+80€).
The final crown should delivered & placed by my dentist. Don’t have price of the final crown yet. So it looks like this is going to be an expensive adventure 🙁
I have sent back an email asking about “where the braces treatment comes in” and who to contact now? The dentist? The periodontist? The orthodontist… Many questions for sure! So waiting for the response now. I think this story can go 2 ways:
Ortho / Perio / Dentist agree on the extrusion procedure with braces. This way I will benefit from fixing some crooked teeth, extrude tooth 21.
Ortho / Perio / Dentist don’t agree on the extrusion procedure with braces. Then I don’t think it will be worth to start a braces treatment. I that case my tooth will be extracted manually starting the implant procedure immediately.
Waiting for the email response and get some feedback from dentist. But one thing I know for sure: I have to give up my tooth and look into the implant procedure.
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!
