I am glad to say that I am proud of my teeth. I love my pearly whites and bright smile, but that’s because I do everything my dentist tells me I should do.
I brush and floss my teeth religiously, and visit my dentist at least twice a year. Beside from having my wisdom teeth removed or teeth cleaned, extreme measures were never taken out on my teeth.
Despite my efforts of taking special care of my teeth, I faced a dilemma. I lost two of my front teeth and required an immediate implant.
How I lost my teeth
Life is full of surprises, and sometimes they are not the best ones.
After working late in my office one night, I decided to head home. A couple of minutes on the road, another car cut into my lane, causing me to swerve immediately to avoid collision.
Okay, let’s rewind – I slammed on my brakes, swerved to avoid the other car, and my vehicle skidded and collided with the center divider. My car was an older model of a pickup truck that only provided lap belts.
Those things are not joke; my belt prevented me from flying out of my seat. However, without the shoulder restraints that newer vehicles are equipped with, my upper body smashed my face towards the steering wheel.
Consequently, I lost two of my front teeth.
A visit to my dentist was imminent
So the following day I was in the dentist’s chair with a dilemma turned into nightmare: I was going to lose two of them.
That seemed like the reality.
After examination, my dentist asked me if I had heard about dental implants. I knew that my teeth were beyond cosmetic repair and I have heard about this operation from a friend.
Based on what I heard, I vaguely described the lengthy procedure. I was quick to point out that the dental implants are surgically placed in the jawbone. Then an abutment is fastened onto the implant. Finally the artificial tooth would be attached to the abutment.
Implants are the solution
She nodded as if she agreed to whatever I knew about implants.
She then told me that in my situation implants were the solution. “Implants would look like this accident never happened – it’ll look natural, I promise.” I was ecstatic as she continued to mention that the cost was affordable.
Yet I had one concern: I am a self-employed contractor, which means any occasion I’m away, I would be without an income.
Reality has hit me in the face again.
I shared this with my dentist and mentioned that dental implants involve a course of numerous months. She explained that it would involve surgery, a remedial phase, and several trips back to her office.
This means that I would be away from my job and without an income for several months.
I needed a quick solution
She explained that when dental implants first became available, patients did have to schedule many visits.
First, the bad tooth, or teeth, had to be extracted, after which a bone graft was done on the site of the jaw receiving the implant; then the patient would need to return months later to have the jaw drilled, the threaded implant installed, and the gum re-sutured. Afterward, the bone tissue needed more time to heal. Finally, the patient would need to return yet again to receive the abutment and crown which she mentioned earlier.
The entire implant process would take four to six months, but ever so often, it could be longer. I couldn’t risk it.
Same-day Implants
My dentist then dropped the bombshell when she said, “In your case, we can place your implants today if you’d like.”
At first, I thought maybe she was kidding. She wasn’t and informed me that the whole operation could be done right now. However, there are various factors, such as bone density and overall oral health that must be taken into consideration for every patient. Finally, my dentist confirmed of my candidacy for the procedure.
In only a few hours, I left her office with a beautiful, bright smile! Of course, I did have to return to her office for checkups and such, but it was so convenient that it didn’t have to interrupt my work schedule.
I got a genuine-looking set of artificial teeth
This all happened two years ago and my set of teeth look genuine – just as natural as my originals. Do not be reluctant to ask your dentist about same-day implant.
He or she will tell if the procedure is appropriate for you and your situation. Like I said, life is full of surprises indeed, but life is also full of choices.
My experience with same-day implants has shown me even when all seems to be going downhill, there is always a choice. In this case, my choice was getting back my beautiful smile all in a few hours.
7 Day Dental in Orange County has the best dentists to take care of your implant needs.