Modern Day Dentistry

I’m sitting here after returning from a trip to the Dentists. This was a follow-up for surgery I had a couple of weeks ago as part of getting three teeth implants. That surgery went very smoothly with very little after effects or pain. It was actually pretty interesting once I got past the sound and feeling of the dentist drilling into the jawbone. It’s amazing just what the human body will put up with as we strive to delay the aging process  by having miscellaneous surgeries performed and get parts replaced with artificial ones.

The most discomfort that I had was the prick or sting as he called it, of the first needle. After that, apart from the noise of the grinding, it went very smoothly as modern pain deadening medicine is very efficient. Although I had my eyes closed because of the flood light, I could still tell about where he was with the procedures. I had two posts put in to carry a three tooth bridge and I couldn’t believe that he drilled and then tapped the bone to put in threads in which he literally screwed in the two posts. For the uninitiated, tapped means to use a drill like tool and actually cut threads to accept threaded objects. What was even more amazing was to feel him tightening the posts with some sort of ratchet tool.

It’s hard to believe that this is my mouth we are talking about not some piece of equipment or motor needing repair. I use ratchets at home when I work on mowers and things and would never have thought they would be made so small and delicate to become surgical tools. Mine is big and suited for the task they do but certainly not to tighten implants.

Anyway, a few stitches later and he was done sending me home with pain pills, antibiotics and mouthwash and a long list of instructions. I already knew because of visits to my regular dentist for teeth cleaning that because I have had a knee replacement (I told you about replacing parts), it was very important that I go on a regimen of anti-biotic pills to prevent infection in the replaced knee. It has something to do with working on the bone which could lead to infection transmittal.

So todays visit was a follow-up and I was given the green light to brush that area of my mouth and to start eating normal foods instead of the soft stuff that I had been eating. After a brief stop at the receptionists desk to schedule a further check in two months prior to actually getting measured for the replacement teeth, I was on my way. The actual implants are not scheduled for another month and a half after the final check. Sure not a job to be rushed as he wants to make sure that the bone has grown around the posts.

I have to mention that he had a nurse assisting him who I could tell, knew exactly what he needed in his work. They were a very good team. He also told me to keep my tongue away from the posts while that area was healing. Have you ever tried to stop your tongue from exploring areas within your mouth that have just had surgery. The bloody thing has a mind of its own and is forever sneaking into the wrong places.

Bye the way, the reason for the implants is to make for easier chewing as I am forever biting my tongue due to chewing on one side and not balancing things up. Oh well. if I had looked after my teeth as a young man, I would probably still have them all. As it is, counting the three in a row, I am missing a couple more but still have a dazzling smile, that is either when someone makes me laugh and I forget to be a grumpy old man or talking to a beautiful women, no make that any woman, as I strive to recall my youth.

Take it from me, the last part doesn’t work no matter how hard I try.