Well after months of regular visits to the dentist (albeit the dentist is just next door) all the work on my bad tooth has been completed. So, I can now smile again. Yay!
As some of you may be aware I had a 1.4cm titanium dental implant pit in to my jaw a few weeks ago. I’ve had to wait for the bone-graft to work and the gum to heal before I could have the rest of the implant and new tooth fitted. Since the removal of the bad tooth, a lateral incisor I’m told, I’ve had to put up with a crown and in the last few weeks a rather dodgy looking dental fascia.
The last few weeks have been the worst though. The fascia was simply a bit of plastic styled to look like a tooth that was used to fill the gap in my teeth while the jaw and gum healed. It was effectively just a tooth shaped bit of plastic that was simply glued to the teeth either side. It was problematic as it was constantly working loose.
The fascia actually looked okay, but I felt like it looked strange, and therefore it had a quite profound effect on how much I smiled. As stupid as it sounds I really tried hard not to smile a lot because I didn’t want people to see the rather ugly gap at the top of the fake tooth, a gap that had to be left there in order for the gum to heal.
The funny thing is that in the last few weeks I’ve also felt kind of down, something which is almost unheard of for me. While there are a few things that have contributed to this, I sincerely believe that not smiling hasn’t helped me in the slightest. The tooth is in, it looks just like the rest, and once again I can smile without worry. And as foolish as this sounds, I really am very very happy about that!
Working in the club taking pictures for their website I often get people say they want pictures with me (don’t ask me why – I have no idea!). Normally I’ll jump right in and snap a pic, but I’ve avoided that in the last few weeks, in fact the fascia tooth became so unstable in the last couple of weeks I avoided going out altogether!
The work has come at a considerable cost though. Nearly $4000 in total. But I’m happy to pay it really. I had no idea how ‘connected’ I am to my teeth, in a sense of I had no idea how having a tooth issue could actually knock my usually unshakable confidence.
So now I’m fixed I feel great. The tooth feels all smooth and strange in my mouth. I have just one more appointment at the dentist next week to see how it’s going and to discuss if I want a small amount of silicone gum put at the top of the tooth where it emerges from the real gum. But for now at least I just feel like I’ve been put back together again. And at last I can smile as much as I did before!
Wrote the following comment on Mar 28, 2006 at 4:00 am
Congratulations on your toothiness.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 28, 2006 at 4:26 am
I can’t remember a thing about my first kiss. I can remember all the other firsts, but that one I can’t :-)
Wrote the following comment on Mar 28, 2006 at 12:18 pm
doesnt have to “The First Kiss”. just the first time you kiss that someone special….some people kiss a different special someone everyday of the week lol! With your new smile I am sure you wan to try out that brand new kiss!
Wrote the following comment on Mar 28, 2006 at 12:36 pm
And you’ve a gorgeous smile, sir. Simply magnificent! ;-)
Wrote the following comment on Mar 28, 2006 at 4:23 am
just think of you were a girl and what kind of silicone you could have bought with 4K…… :) wanna try your hand at poetry? there is a collaborated poem going on at my site….titled: First Kiss. just add 4 lines of your feelings on that anticipated first kiss. it has turned out rather well I must say.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 28, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Aww, you guys! I know where to come when I need a bit of a gee-up. These comments made me smile, so thank you all. For $4000 I shall be smiling damn near all the time from now on! :-D
Wrote the following comment on Mar 28, 2006 at 2:32 pm
I meant to say that I know all the pics of me above are with girls. I did look for one of me with my mates, but we’re all pulling faces and stuff. Why do guys do that?
Wrote the following comment on Mar 28, 2006 at 5:33 pm
nice pearlies.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 28, 2006 at 9:02 am
I’m glad you’re feeling better! You’re too hot not to smile!
Wrote the following comment on Mar 29, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Glad to see you have your smile back!
I had a similar issue so I know exactly what you mean about feeling in a better mood. I had a tooth above where it should have been, and because of it, I never liked to smile.
An orthodontist I went to see wanted to pull two teeth out to move it down and then put me in metal braces for two years… He told me that this was my only option to have the “absolute perfect smile.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people who doesn’t believe that perfection is something that can be obtained. So,I immediately decided against his judgement, not because of his issue with perfection, (though that did actually factor into it, ) but mainly because I hated the idea of metal braces for two entire years. Especially because my other medical issues already require enough metal to last me a lifetime, I just don’t need anymore, lol.
I honestly think I never would have smiled if I’d had braces for two years.
So, a few weeks ago, I had the tooth extracted. Although I’m technically missing a tooth, I feel a lot better. I’m much more confident and smile more than I ever did. No one but a dentist can really tell that I’m missing a tooth anyhow, so I see it as a complete gain.
Here’s to happy smiles! :)
Wrote the following comment on Mar 30, 2006 at 7:17 pm
I thought this might help you practice your smile a bit more. Taken from: https://www3.sympatico.ca/srajano/jokes.htmlTranslations: Southern United States to EnglishBARD – verb. Past tense of the infinitive “to borrow.”Usage: “My brother bard my pickup truck.”JAWJUH – noun. A highly flammable state just north of Florida.Usage: “My brother from Jawjah bard my pickup truck.”MUNTS – noun. A calendar division.Usage: “My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck, and I aint herd from himin munts.”IGNERT – adjective. Not smart. See “Auburn Alumni.”Usage: “Them N-C-TWO-A boys sure are ignert!”RANCH – noun. A tool.Usage: “I think I left my ranch in the back of that pickup truck my brotherfrom Jawjuh bard a few munts ago.”ALL – noun. A petroleum-based lubricant.Usage: “I sure hope my brother from Jawjuh puts all in my pickup truck.”FAR – noun. A conflagration.Usage: “If my brother from Jawjuh doesn’t change the all in my pickup truck,that things gonna catch far.”TARRED – adjective. Exhausted.Usage: “I just flew in from Hot-lanta, and boy my arms are tarred.”RATS – noun. Entitled power or privilege.Usage: “We Southerners are willing to fight for out rats.”FARN – adjective. Not local.Usage: “I cudnt unnerstand a wurd he sed … must be from some farn country.”EAR – noun. A colorless, odorless gas (unless you are in LA).Usage: “He can’t breathe … give ’em some ear!”GUMMIT – Noun. An often-closed bureaucratic institution.Usage: “Great … ANOTHER gummit shutdown!”