After being asked nicely by my dentist for the last three cleanings, I agreed to allow her to extract my tiny baby tooth and make a bridge. This procedure involved first having the baby tooth extracted, next having my gum and jawbone surgically heightened and finally the bridge being placed. I got through the first and second steps without too much inconvenience or trouble, but today I had my temporary bridge placed.
I want to stop right here and say that my dentist never once made a big deal about any of these procedures being done. In fact, she told me it would make her happy to make the teeth look right. I felt very comfortable allowing her to complete the procedure.
Today I had my temporary bridge placed. I arrived at the dentist right on time and we got started right away. After being numbed up (which had become common practice since I had to be numbed up for the multiple appointments involved in parts 1 and 2 of this whole project), out came the drill. I laid back listening to my iPod as the dentist drilled away. At first, I thought she was just preparing the surfaces and making mounting points or something. After about 20 minutes, she was done drilling. I thought to myself, that was a long time, and as the thought passed through me, my tongue skimmed across the teeth. At first touch a shrill shock surged through my body. Where once I had perfect, while misplaced, teeth were rough gritty STUMPS! Trying not to freak out too much, as the doctor seemed like everything was going fine, I asked for a mirror to see what my teeth looked like. Horror shook my body when I saw what my perfect teeth had become. Ground up mounds that didn’t look like teeth at all, a very faint shade of yellow none-the-less.
I am still in shock for the realization that two of my perfectly good teeth are now stumps of nothing and can never be what they once were and had I know two of my teeth were going to be destroyed, I’m not sure I would have agreed. It almost feels like a part of me is missing now and I didn’t even know I was going to loose them. Another part of me thinks the dentist was unfair in not fully explaining what was at stake for this procedure.
While now, after doing a little research, I feel just a tad more comfortable it is still very weird. Take this as a warning. While a bridge may be necessary, if there are other options for your dental needs, take the time to consider them. I can never have my two teeth back and I don’t think anyone should feel the way I do about this.