Making a good impression

My transition from seriously flawed natural teeth to prosthetic replacements has been slowed by medical complications. After my old teeth were pulled out, there was a section of exposed jawbone on the lower left side, and an opening into a sinus cavity on the upper right side. The exposed jawbone was mainly a nuisance, but the sinus problem caused salt water to run out of my right nostril whenever I rinsed my mouth. At my second post-surgical visit, the dentist suggested that additional oral surgery might be required, which messed up my positive mental attitude for a week. By the third visit, though, there were enough signs of healing that the doc didn't need to see me again until this morning.

In the two weeks since my last dental exam, fresh gum tissue had completely covered the exposed bone and substantially closed the opening into the sinus cavity. Still, I was surprised when Dr. L told me he was encouraged enough by the level of healing to proceed with the next step: making the impressions for the dentures. What I had expected to be a ten-minute exam turned into a longer, more involved procedure.

After Dr. L pulled out another (hopefully, the last) loose bone fragment, a technician handled the task of making the impressions. I couldn't actually see what she was doing, but it felt like she had filled metal templates with some kind of goo roughly comparable to stuff I use to re-caulk my bathtubs. First the upper, then the lower. There would have been more discomfort, but part of my mouth was still numb from the shot Dr L gave me before he removed the bone fragment (or spicule, as he called it).

After the impressions were completed, I got to select the color of the replacement teeth. Believe it or not, you can actually choose from about twenty colors, ranging from dazzling white to shades of yellow, brown or gray. Modern technology always amazes me.

I've adapted to toothlessness, and I like the results of my new dietary habits so well that I've decided to stick to them even after the dentures are ready. I'm finally back to the weight I was at before brain surgery, and my dental HMO plan has softened the financial blow substantially. What's not to like ?