Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Algodones Dental Experience, Day Two

WARNING: You are about to hear more about my successful dental procedure than you may want to know. I am doing this because many people are interested in dental work in Mexico.

Today was the Big Day. My appointment at Sani Dental was for 11:00 and after a short 20 minute wait I went into the treatment room. The dentist and two assistants were waiting. He quickly told me the order they were going to do things in as it would be difficult for me to ask questions after he started. He started with the simplest job, removing the upper left bridge and pulling one bad tooth from under it. He did this and then told me the anchor tooth had to come out as well. We had discussed this tooth yesterday but he thought he could save it. It turned out he could not. Add one more extraction and one more implant added to the bill! He then did a deep cleaning to the remaining top teeth and did some small bone grafts up there as well.

He then let me rest for a few minutes before starting on the bottom. The right bottom bridge had to be cut in half as half was to remain in place. He actually cut it in half with a tiny saw! I of course did not see any of the process as they had my eyes covered with a cloth the whole time but I could hear and feel it. Once it was cut through he removed the part with the bad tooth. The bottom left bridge, the reason I came in, was last. This is where the current infection is running wild. It came out the easiest, taking two anchor teeth with it with hardly any resistance. There was not much holding that bridge in, the bone was gone and I probably could have pulled it out with my fingers. He then deep cleaned the remaining teeth on the bottom and packed a ton of bone grafting material into the large hole in my jaw bone after thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the sockets..

This "Deep Cleaning" involves pulling the gum away from the tooth and scraping the tooth all the way down to where it meets the bone and maybe further. Yes, it felt about like how it sounds. Not a pleasant experience although not nearly as bad as I expected. It is the most expensive single item on the bill at $300 per quadrant = $1,200.

His extraction method was virtually painless. The same method was used on the bridges as on the individual teeth. He gave me several needles (I don't know how many as I could only feel the first two), latched onto the bridge or tooth with a tool that felt similar to a pair of vice grips and started wiggling. Eventually he increased the pull while still wiggling and out it came, virtually painless. I winced once and he stopped to add two more needles. That was the only glitch except he muttered "shit" twice as he was packing the "Big Hole" with the bone grafting material. I asked him after what that was all about and he just shrugged and said, "nothing really, it just wasn't going where I wanted. No problema"! They also recommended a laser treatment that they said would aid in and speed up healing. It was extra cost but I went for it. "In for a penny, in for a pound" (think old British expression).

I was in the chair for just over three hours. I sat for a minute or two to get my bearings before walking up front to pay my bill. There is no additional fee for paying with cash or by cheque but if you use a credit card or debit card, there is a 4% add-on fee. I paid today's $2750 USA with a cheque. This was $550 more than the estimate because of the added on extraction and the laser treatment.

I am back at the hotel with a totally numb face and can't feel a damn thing from the neck up. I took a 600 mg ibuprofen that they prescribed because I know it will hurt when the freezing comes out but so far, so good. Norma went over to the restaurant and had them run a large bowl of vegetable soup through the blender and I am letting it cool for a while before trying it as all I need is a burned, numb mouth!.

I have to go back in the morning to get temporary plates installed. I don't really know the value of this as they told me I would have to take them out to eat. Norma tells me they will help let my face keep it's shape as I wait the six months before they can do the implants and final bridges. The kind I can eat with were going to be $1000 extra, Nuff said. Six months is going to be a long time eating soft food!

No photos. Be happy for this.

11 comments:

  1. Thank you very much for not posting photos. I guess I can remove peanut brittle from the list of approved Birthday presents.

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  2. The bridges were 25 years old and I remember being told that they had a life expectancy of 25 or so years. Their time was up and I admit I did not show up for the recommended cleaning frequency of every six months.

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  3. Yep, I'm about ready to have two crowns replaced. This time with gold underlay. I have had wonderful results with gold, the gums seem to adhere more to gold than any other metal and gold doesn't rust or rot. I understand the saw part. I had to have a bridge sawed in half to have it removed. It was in there solid. Flossing, underbridge flossing, use of baking soda and a new brush every month seems to keep me in pretty good shape. What doesn't work is aging and gum deterioration. Good luck friend, I am not best friends with a dentist.

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    1. My old bridges were all gold and lasted for over 25 years with minimal upkeep..

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  4. Glad it was relatively painless Croft. When I had my stuff done the strongest thing they were able to prescribe was Tramadol which affects me about as much as aspirin. Hope the ibuprofen takes care of you but if not ask Tony where to get something a bit stronger. There is a pharmacy in town that will sell you what you might need. Just don't take anything back across the border that you don't have a scrip for.

    Just wanted to give you a little follow up to my implants. After almost 2 months my temporary feels almost natural and I'm eating chips and nuts. They told me I should be careful for the first 3 weeks and then slowly I could eat harder foods. Still not quite ready for trying an apple but I'm very glad I went to Sani. Hope you end up feeling the same in a few months. I'm thinking I will return for my permanent either Memorial Day weekend or July 4th as I have both of those off but Mexico won't (shouldn't).

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    1. I am actually pretty amazed Don. The freezing is pretty much gone and have very little pain. What there is is being handled by the ibuprofen. I just walked over to the kitchen and had a couple of scrambled eggs.

      My six months is up in the summer as well, in my case the end of August. It will be pretty warm around here then!

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  5. That sounds like quite a procedure, hope all works out for you.
    Good luck.

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  6. Oh Croft, sorry to hear you have to go through this but there is no choice is there? All I can think of is that next time I see you, you might even be thinner than Norma.

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