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.