Braces at 30 | Dental Implants Result and a New Consultation | 27 Months

Welcome to my latest Braces at 30 blog post where I share my experience of wearing a brace as an adult with updates from each appointment.  I had my braces fitted when I was 30 years old.  I’m now 32 and have had braces on for over two years!  Below I share what happened at my latest appointment.

Here’s my last update if you missed it:

What happened at my private dental implants consultation?

Me with the retainer on and false tooth in retainer which you can't tell from a distance.  Bottom brace still on.

Implant results

So it’s been a while since my implant consultation and unfortunately the results weren’t what I was hoping for.  I was also waiting for the dentist to reply to me, but he’s totally ignored my two follow up emails.  It’s so frustrating when companies do this.  He sent me my results from the CT scan and x-ray.  He had thought one side looked too narrow at the roots for an implant root and he confirmed this was so.  This meant I could have an implant on one side (the peg tooth side), but not the other.  This other side would need a bridge.

This was pretty frustrating as if I could have two implants then I could get these implanted, have a permanent bonded retainer and be done with it!  That was what I hoped for by going down the implant route, for it to be a permanent solution and to get on with my life with no more removable retainers and to pretty much have a normal mouth and teeth.  So it was disappointing to hear that I couldn’t have an implant on one side and that I’d need a bridge still anyway.

I decided to just go for the two bridges seeing as it is a cheaper option for now and I’d still have to have the removable Essix retainer.  I emailed back the dentist I saw to say this and to ask a few questions, such as could I have my teeth whitened beforehand and how long did I have to wait to have the bridges since I need the peg tooth removed.  I waited a few days and then his assistant called to ensure I had his first email.  I said I did and that I’d responded and she said she’ll let him know.  A week later I still hadn’t heard anything so I forwarded my reply to check he received it.  I’m pretty sure they would have seeing as he received and responded to all my emails leading up to the consultation and his assistant now knew I had replied as we spoke on the phone.

Ben said I should call again, but I’ve emailed twice and spoken on the phone to his assistant, so why should I have to chase them anymore?  I’m a paying customer and if they can’t be bothered to respond then I’ll not spend my money there.

So I’ve just been this week to a different practice instead for a consultation and I’m pleased to say the ball is rolling and I have four more appointments booked next month.  I’ll share below what happened at my new consultation.

A new consultation

I went for a new consultation at a different practice this week and it was so much better.  I’m not sure what went wrong at the first practice.  It’s so bizarre for them not to reply.  I can only assume they wanted my custom for the implants only and not for the bridges which are considerably cheaper.  Otherwise why would you turn a paying customer down?  A customer who would continue to come back for appointments and check-ups possibly for life?

Anyway at the new appointment I explained I wasn’t suitable for implants and that I needed my peg tooth removed sue to internal resorption (basically the tooth is eating itself and the body absorbing its minerals).  So I had decided on two bridges and wanted to know my options.

They took a look in my mouth and made me keep biting my teeth together and sliding my bottom jaw forwards then left and right.  Another dentist was called in to check what they thought too.  I think perhaps the dentist I was seeing is fairly new as he looked very young, so perhaps he wanted to confirm what he thought.

Here’s the plan of action for my top teeth:

1. Remove the peg tooth in July.  This tooth has internal resorption and so needs removing.  I’ll then need to wait 6-9 months (gah) for the gum to fully heal and to have a bridge.  This was the most frustrating part of this appointment.  When I asked how long I’d have to wait for the false teeth after removing this peg tooth and he said ‘6-9…’ I thought he was going to say weeks and I thought that’s a long time.  So when he said months I was like eek!  I was hoping for this whole brace thing to be coming to an end and I might have another 10 months before I can get the false teeth.  So frustrating.
2. Have another false tooth added to my Essix retainer.  As I’m having the peg tooth out it will leave me with another whole tooth gap next to my front teeth.  I’ll be missing both full sized lateral incisors – these are the teeth next to the front teeth, so very noticeable!  I already have one false tooth in the retainer to cover the gap when I’m wearing it, so the dentist will send my retainer off to have a false tooth added to the other side.  This will mean 24 hours of two teeth missing whilst my retainer is sent off between my appointments.  Let’s hope no one needs to talk to me and I can hide at home.
3. Take impressions for a partial acrylic denture.  I was really disappointed about having to wait 6-9 months for the proper false teeth as I’m finding the Essix retainer a real pain.  I have to take it out to eat or drink which means baring my gaps.  This is fine at home, but not great when out and about as I’m too embarrassed!  I also have to brush my teeth before putting it back in.  So I can’t have a spontaneous day out say to the countryside with a picnic as I need to be able to brush my teeth after and put the retainer back in.  We love going for days out or to the countryside, plus we’ve just got a camper and want to go camping so it’s annoying I can’t think of doing all this as normal as I need to think about whether I can eat and brush my teeth wherever we are!  So I asked if there was anything I can do about this and the dentist suggested a temporary denture.  It is at a cost, but seeing as I may need to wait nine more months I thought it was worth it so I can kind of get on with my social life as normal.  I’ll go for a third appointment to take an impression for a partial acrylic denture which will fix to the roof of my teeth and back teeth and have two false teeth on.  I can wear this when I want to eat or go out for short periods of time as I can keep it in to eat.  I can’t wear it all the time as I currently need to wear the retainer full time for around six months.  But after this I can wear the denture all the time until I have my permanent false teeth.  It is an extra expense, but I’m so pleased I decided to do this as it means I can go out for meals again and food with family/friends, days out and so on without worrying that I can’t eat all day.  I can use it when I know I’m going out and then pop my retainer back in as soon as I am back.
4. Acrylic denture fitting.  I’ll have a fourth appointment to pick up my denture and to see how to fit it.  It will take around 8 days to have it made.  Then I can enjoy meals again!
5. Wait 6-9 months.  Then I have to wait 6-9 months until my gum has healed from the peg tooth being removed to move forward with the next stage of getting bridges and deciding which type of bridge to go for.

Phew!  So my top teeth are going on and on and on.  Up to another ten months from now for them to be finished!

I still have my brace on the bottom teeth, but I’m hoping to have this removed next week if ready.  I’ll update then.