A Toothy Matter
Feb. 28th, 2011 10:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dielloI never mentioned this before, but on Thursday, I had an appointment with the dentist and a financial consultant at Eastman (for non-local mates, that is the Eastman School of Dentistry). I had an excruciatingly painful set of X-rays taken, and a very messy set of molds taken of my teeth.
Next Tuesday, I go in for a surgery consultation. I am finally getting the gap fixed. It will take a lot of money, and no, I do not have the funds or the financial backing / credit to cover it, so I'll be using my federal return (I was going to get a sleep-number bed with that, damn it!).
What the surgery entails is, first, a possible bone graft, where they build up the bone matter (because it is 1) a front tooth and therefore the bone is thin enough as it is, and 2) has had 6 years to diminish further since removing the tooth). If I don't actually need a bone graft (doubtful), that will save me $900.
Then, after a 3-month healing process, I get a screw put in ($700).
3 more months to heal THAT til the actual implant goes in ($800).
(+ a 15% discount)
And I'm really scared. I was hoping I might just get a flipper tooth and that's it, but the dentist told me that's pretty uncomfortable, annoying, and the flipper can pop out sometimes. I knew I was getting an implant. I WANT an implant. I just wish it wasn't going to set me back almost 3 grand.
They told me the bone graft doesn't hurt; their patients say they're surprised by how little it hurt. I imagine differently. I imagine the freezer-shot hadn't worn off yet when the patients reported this pain-free experience. I imagine they went home, the numbness went away, and they were like, Fuck, Where's The Vicodin?
So yeah.
I am scared. This is really going to happen.
Next Tuesday, I go in for a surgery consultation. I am finally getting the gap fixed. It will take a lot of money, and no, I do not have the funds or the financial backing / credit to cover it, so I'll be using my federal return (I was going to get a sleep-number bed with that, damn it!).
What the surgery entails is, first, a possible bone graft, where they build up the bone matter (because it is 1) a front tooth and therefore the bone is thin enough as it is, and 2) has had 6 years to diminish further since removing the tooth). If I don't actually need a bone graft (doubtful), that will save me $900.
Then, after a 3-month healing process, I get a screw put in ($700).
3 more months to heal THAT til the actual implant goes in ($800).
(+ a 15% discount)
And I'm really scared. I was hoping I might just get a flipper tooth and that's it, but the dentist told me that's pretty uncomfortable, annoying, and the flipper can pop out sometimes. I knew I was getting an implant. I WANT an implant. I just wish it wasn't going to set me back almost 3 grand.
They told me the bone graft doesn't hurt; their patients say they're surprised by how little it hurt. I imagine differently. I imagine the freezer-shot hadn't worn off yet when the patients reported this pain-free experience. I imagine they went home, the numbness went away, and they were like, Fuck, Where's The Vicodin?
So yeah.
I am scared. This is really going to happen.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-07 02:06 am (UTC)