Moving mid-treatment-how to transition?

[MountainMama]

We are moving to a new state. I am petrified of finding a new dentist first of all. Second, my dentist was going to redo my front tooth implant crown this fall. He is still on vacation and will be back early October. We are moving end of October. I do not want to end up moving before the crown is done, or right after and not be able to get it fixed if there are issues.
We are moving to a new state so driving back for treatment is out of the question. My front tooth implant is finally starting to feel somewhat normal, with just occasional pain behind the tooth, in the gums. I hate to start all over again right before moving.
Any suggestions for making a smooth transition? I can’t even ask my dentist as he is gone until October. All the office can tell me is to contact him when he returns.

 

[Niall Neeson]

Hi MountainMama,

Moving can be a really exciting time but it’s certainly never without its challenges!

Firstly, if you have built trust successfully with your current dentist then it shows you that it can be done and therefore you can do it again. Your wealth of knowledge you’ve obviously acquired (and you’ve imparted to others) on this site will be invaluable to you. This can help make the process smoother and more efficient.

I appreciate that the concern is the timing of the planned implant restoration but if you think about, in the big picture of things it still doesn’t change the basis of what are aiming to achieve ie a skilled dentist who is sensitive to your needs and priorities.

At the same time, you don’t want to dive straight into restoring an implant crown on your first visit so timing needs to be considered. Is there any particular urgency about the planned implant restoration? The fact that it’s feeling comfortable sounds like a good sign?!

 

[MountainMama]

Hi MountainMama,

Moving can be a really exciting time but it’s certainly never without its challenges!

Firstly, if you have built trust successfully with your current dentist then it shows you that it can be done and therefore you can do it again. Your wealth of knowledge you’ve obviously acquired (and you’ve imparted to others) on this site will be invaluable to you. This can help make the process smoother and more efficient.

I appreciate that the concern is the timing of the planned implant restoration but if you think about, in the big picture of things it still doesn’t change the basis of what are aiming to achieve ie a skilled dentist who is sensitive to your needs and priorities.

At the same time, you don’t want to dive straight into restoring an implant crown on your first visit so timing needs to be considered. Is there any particular urgency about the planned implant restoration? The fact that it’s feeling comfortable sounds like a good sign?!

Thank you, that was comforting. I do feel that I have a lot more knowledge than I did before. The implant is not a urgent situation, but my dentist was going to redo it for free whereas a new dentist will charge. Money is a concern. The current implant crown is not the right color or shape for my surrounding teeth. My husband tells me it isn’t terribly noticeable but I am very self-conscious about it as it is a front tooth. The dentist was going to change the abutment to a zirconia one, instead of metal, as the metal one shows dark through my gums. It still has sensitivity (not necessarily pain...more like a bruised feeling) on the gums behind the tooth. I get some dull pain between that crown and the tooth next to it occasionally as well. It isn’t nearly as bad as it was and I am pretty much used to it now. I could easily go on like this for awhile. It is more of an annoyance. I do not want to jump in with a new dentist with a new abutment and crown!