J
Jackalwi
Member
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2014
- Messages
- 31
So here's the in detail report -
Last night, stopped eating & drinking at midnight to 'prep' for surgery. Took my antibiotics prior to surgery as prescribed. Left at 7:00 AM to get to the office by 8:00, and they wasted no time getting me all set up in the fated room where the last of my natural teeth would bid farewell.
I had a couple questions relevant to the doc from my last visit with the dentist about how I didn't have much vestibula (back of the upper jaw bone, for the upper denture to really 'hang onto'), but he pretty much confirmed my practical approach of "Well that's what the glues are for, right?". During the pre-surgery prep with me in the chair, but not sedated yet, he also said the IV sedation would be a little different when he described the procedure.
It was going to be different in that I would be slightly "less" of it because of the surgery outline. I would be completely out for about an hour and a half for them to do the extractions and drilling into the bone for the implants, and then still groggy for about 2 hours while they made the teeth on-site and fit them (making adjustments/remaking them as necessary for fit). During which, if the bottom implants couldn't yet support the fixed temporary denture, I would have generic dentures on there too while the implants healed up strong enough to support the denture.
It wasn't long before I was likewise zonked out. I don't remember a thing about the extractions or drilling or setting the implants or anything. I was apparently "there" enough from recovery that I didn't need help getting back to the car, and was even talking relatively coherently. My mouth was not full of gauze or anything either.
I do not remember anything else about the day except for having just woken up (napping off the rest of the IV sedation), but apparently while I was awake after the procedure, I don't remember any of it. It's all a very bizarre experience for someone who's used to having a pretty good memory (especially when it comes to big events like this!).
Now that it's been a few hours since the surgery and about an hour of being conscious enough to have memory of what I do, here's about what it's like *currently*;;
The top denture, or gums I should say, are tender (of course, there's no real teeth there anymore!)
The bottom denture, or gums I should say, are tender (of course, there's no real teeth there AND rods drilled in there!).
The top gums feel a bit more swollen, especially since the top denture is not fixed in place from implants. If I gently bite, I can feel the pressure from the swollen gums on top more than the bottom.
The temporary denture itself has a smooth palate - where I rest my tongue on the roof of my mouth has this really smooth texture -- imagine chewing some gum, and then flattening it on the roof of your mouth, it's that kind of smoothness.
As of right now, I'm not in any immediate pain - what pain there is, is mostly a dull ache. I think as of writing this the novacaine & pain relief from the doc's office is wearing off, and I (while finishing off this post) just took the first 'big' pain reliever tablet.
I apparently have a dentist appointment tomorrow (... at the dentists, not the oral surgeon), but I don't remember being given it. So I'll have to give them a ring since both of them have by now closed their offices for the day (save for the emergency lines); and in a week I'll be taking a trip back to the Oral Surgeon so he can check up on how things are going and take out stitches (if there are any, I can't feel them currently).
So that's that! Within 4-6 months I'll have my final permanent dentures, and the nightmare of pain that 2014 has largely been will finally be over!
Last night, stopped eating & drinking at midnight to 'prep' for surgery. Took my antibiotics prior to surgery as prescribed. Left at 7:00 AM to get to the office by 8:00, and they wasted no time getting me all set up in the fated room where the last of my natural teeth would bid farewell.
I had a couple questions relevant to the doc from my last visit with the dentist about how I didn't have much vestibula (back of the upper jaw bone, for the upper denture to really 'hang onto'), but he pretty much confirmed my practical approach of "Well that's what the glues are for, right?". During the pre-surgery prep with me in the chair, but not sedated yet, he also said the IV sedation would be a little different when he described the procedure.
It was going to be different in that I would be slightly "less" of it because of the surgery outline. I would be completely out for about an hour and a half for them to do the extractions and drilling into the bone for the implants, and then still groggy for about 2 hours while they made the teeth on-site and fit them (making adjustments/remaking them as necessary for fit). During which, if the bottom implants couldn't yet support the fixed temporary denture, I would have generic dentures on there too while the implants healed up strong enough to support the denture.
It wasn't long before I was likewise zonked out. I don't remember a thing about the extractions or drilling or setting the implants or anything. I was apparently "there" enough from recovery that I didn't need help getting back to the car, and was even talking relatively coherently. My mouth was not full of gauze or anything either.
I do not remember anything else about the day except for having just woken up (napping off the rest of the IV sedation), but apparently while I was awake after the procedure, I don't remember any of it. It's all a very bizarre experience for someone who's used to having a pretty good memory (especially when it comes to big events like this!).
Now that it's been a few hours since the surgery and about an hour of being conscious enough to have memory of what I do, here's about what it's like *currently*;;
The top denture, or gums I should say, are tender (of course, there's no real teeth there anymore!)
The bottom denture, or gums I should say, are tender (of course, there's no real teeth there AND rods drilled in there!).
The top gums feel a bit more swollen, especially since the top denture is not fixed in place from implants. If I gently bite, I can feel the pressure from the swollen gums on top more than the bottom.
The temporary denture itself has a smooth palate - where I rest my tongue on the roof of my mouth has this really smooth texture -- imagine chewing some gum, and then flattening it on the roof of your mouth, it's that kind of smoothness.
As of right now, I'm not in any immediate pain - what pain there is, is mostly a dull ache. I think as of writing this the novacaine & pain relief from the doc's office is wearing off, and I (while finishing off this post) just took the first 'big' pain reliever tablet.
I apparently have a dentist appointment tomorrow (... at the dentists, not the oral surgeon), but I don't remember being given it. So I'll have to give them a ring since both of them have by now closed their offices for the day (save for the emergency lines); and in a week I'll be taking a trip back to the Oral Surgeon so he can check up on how things are going and take out stitches (if there are any, I can't feel them currently).
So that's that! Within 4-6 months I'll have my final permanent dentures, and the nightmare of pain that 2014 has largely been will finally be over!