Dentistry

I never like going to the dentist, but if I have to go, I prefer going to the oral surgeon. He's fast and organized. He's focused on getting the job done.

Today, I got another example of that.

Last week, one of the screws holding things in for my implants fell out into my mouth. I got it, and the general dentist I see reinserted it. He also 'tightened' all of the others. Two minutes later, one of them fell out, to our mutual surprise. He put it back in. Two days later, I felt as if that spot was tender, just a bit. The next day, still a bit tender, I felt around but didn't feel anything odd. The next day, I counted the implant 'heads' -- and only felt three. Since that dentist is closed on Fridays, and when I'd called the last time said to just come in, I called today and said 'Another screw missing -- and this time, I don't have it.' He said he did not have replacements, and I should go to the oral surgeon.

In what has been a chain of whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, it turns out that the oral surgeon was fully booked for today because tomorrow he's leaving for a conference -- but they managed to slide me in anyway. I mentioned to him that I liked his speed and sense of lets just get it done, while the other dentist seems to lack a sense of urgency. Well, he's been practicing for a long time, he said. But ten minutes later, the screw reinserted, he was looking at his records, and was astounded. It's been a YEAR since I discharged you to him, and you still don't have the permanent bridge? I nodded. He looked at the xray he'd just taken. You're starting to lose bone around the implants. That temporary denture is torquing the hell out of the implants, rocking them like pulling on a fence post. If something doesn't happen soon, you're going to lose those implants. He looked at the xray again and shook his head. You want me to call him?

I would really, really appreciate it, I said.