Oyster Gardeners: Let's Celebrate Teeth

At the beginning part of 2009 my dentist asked me to go visit a periodontist specializing in implants as he had some concerns about my 21 year-old dental implants. I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Mason in Saginaw who told me that my implants were failing, that the bones were disappearing and that they needed to come out. He recommended replacing them, but putting in a significant amount of new bone first. After consulting Todd on the matter, the arrangements were made and by the beginning of March I started the process. This lovely picture of me was taken about four days after the surgery to extract the old dental implants. The swelling is better than it had been, and what hadn't shown up yet were the nice yellow bruises around my jawline and eyes. I was still just wiped out on the couch for nearly a week.

There were about 40 stitches in my gums, which are covered up by this plastic retainer which had some painted-in teeth to fill the now vacant spots. I wore the plastic retainer for the next 13 months! It was a very annoying blessing. I couldn't eat with it in, so eating in front of people was a little embarrassing.

Two more procdures followed at about 5 month intervals, adding new bone and putting in the new titanium implants. They weren't as bad as the first, but more intense than I had been led to believe.

The day finally arrived that another dentist, Dr. Mertz in Saginaw, could install the crowns onto the titanium posts. The whole family was excited with me. Grant, who is currently missing the same two teeth that I am, said we should take a picture before I get my new teeth. So this is us before he went to school that morning.