Ceci n’est pas un blog

Had the implant removal done on July 3, just before leaving on vacation. Another medieval procedure, removing something that was meant never to be removed. The implant is screwed into bone, which grows around it, so taking it out meant lots of novocaine followed by well over an hour of drilling around and around it then occasionally torquing it with various wrenches and all of my dentist’s body weight. My dentist was frustrated, his technician desperately wanted to go home, I was aching from keeping my mouth open. Did I mention that my 4:30 appointment didn’t start till after 6 because he had an emergency case? When he finally dropped the bloody quarter-inch chunk of metal into a pan close to 8 pm, we were all exhausted.

A lovely bruise surfaced on my chin a day or two later and my jaw was sore for days, but now it’s 3 weeks later, my stitches are out and apparently things are healing nicely. So in a mere 6 months, the bone grafting should have done its thing and he can put a new and better screw back in my jaw. Oh joy.

Gummy Teeth by rachel is coconut&lime via Flickr.