Implant Saga 12

  / by  Author

So , some time ago I received my top teeth – partial metal denture. Now I am whole – albeit with lots of caveats.

My bottom implant-anchored bridge is still covered with a thick transparent coating of resin so that it forms a sort of fence, not a row of teeth. I have to swallow and talk over this fence. The top teeth don’t look all that good and saliva still pools inside my numb left lip and comes out every time I go to speak.My speech is slurred and there are many words I have to spell out.

The worst word of all is “wall” – I won’t be building that wall anytime soon.

I think the saliva is the worst aspect of my daily life. I keep forgetting to keep a cloth in my hand. I go into shops to buy something, have to say a few words and saliva is not only spitty but also hard to talk through.

But I’m lucky in some ways. Let me count the ways.

  1. At least I have saliva at the moment
  2. I had a minute cancer that nevertheless had to be removed during my implant saga and I’ve survived it
  3. I’m not too bad with my speech once I’ve warmed up
  4. I’m reasonably fit and well for my age in spite of my poor diet
  5. I don’t have to wear a mask any more after 14 months of no top teeth but because of Covid I CAN wear a mask if I’m too tired to put my teeth in
  6. My treatment team of older surgeon, younger surgeon and nurses treat me like an old friend and I’m so grateful. Tears well up when I think of them
  7. My working relationship with my prosthodontist improved greatly after I made a – I hope – thoughtful complaint about delays
  8. My food processing is a wee bit better now and so is taste
  9. My mouth is straightish for the first time since 2014
  10. I can smile
  11. I’m quite enjoying life in spite of all the hassles

I still have a way to go. There was some mention of a simple improvement to my top denture. It will never be comfortable but it can be made to look better. The resin or acrylic covering my bottom bridge was meant to be a temporary measure but even I can’t see how it can be removed because it is helping to keep my lip out.

We will see. Oh, and as for the implants themselves, the four of them that anchor the lower bridge seem fine. Even in my partly radiated bone.

Small mercies – big mercies.