I just had an implant installed today. Installed seems like a good word to use because the dentist used a variety of tools that builders use, including a drill, compressor, stainless steel rod and hammer. All very well sterilized, I was assured.

I tend to be a trusting person so when my dentist told me he couldn't do the implant but he had a brother-in-law who was pretty cheap, I went ahead with the brother-in-law, who practises in a small town, 20 minutes away from the city. Hmmm.


The BIL has a bona fide dental practise-at least he works in a building with a sign that says, Beausejour Dental Office and he has dental hygeinists who love their jobs. (Have you noticed that dental hygenists can get downright giddy when they're scraping the crud off your teeth? They really like it. They generally seem like a happy bunch to me. Go figure.)


Today I went for the implant and Dr. K was happy, VERY happy to see me. His 2 assistants were also VERY happy to see me and it seemed to me that all the hygenists, receptionists and other people who work there all knew who I was and were VERY happy to see me. I seemed to be a bit of a celebrity.

I was getting a little nervous. I started wondering how many implants the BIL does in a year. They all seemed to know what they were doing. But they all seemed a little too happy. They reminded me of the time Michele, Yvonne and I got together to make our first batch of fresh cheese. We were so excited. We sterilized everything we needed to use, we read the instructions over and over and over. We talked about every detail and about what we should do. And the cheese worked out fabulously-the second time we tried it.

Gulp.

When I am draped with sterile clothes and have a funny cap over my head, I become very docile and agreeable. So even though I was nervous, I didn't get up and run away or ask to see the good dentist's credentials. I just let him do his thing. And when he told me that he would have to "tap" the implant into place if it didn't go in all the way, that I should not worry, it was part of the procedure. However, when we got to that part, my confidence in the dentist began to leave with every tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, TAPTAPTAPBANGBANGBANG. Those were not little taps. They were bangs that could have broken my jaw if he had been hitting it with the same power he was using to "tap" the implant into place. As he was banging, I realized that at that moment, I was totally trusting in him and his ability to install an implant. I was also trusting my own dentist who referred me to his brother-in-law. He apologized for what he was doing but because we were commited, we couldn't stop.

Finally he did stop the hammering, checked his work and reported that it was a slam dunk. I think that meant he was happy with it. Whew.

The procedure itself lasted all of 20 minutes or so and it wasn't bad at all except for the hammer. As they worked, I became more confident and less worried in their abilties. The dentist was happy with how things were going and I liked his satisfied grunts and pleased words as everything worked out just as it was supposed to.

The worst is over and in a few months, after bone has grown around the implant he will be able to place a beautiful new tooth in the gap that is there right now.

That's good thing because I never really liked that tooth in the first place and now, knowing that there's a big hole where my tooth should be is surprisingly embarassing to me.

The Dentist

Yesterday, I rode my bike to the dentist. I had what I thought was a loose crown and hoped that Dr. J could glue it back on before it fell off. It wasn't that easy. I ended up with my first tooth extraction. I felt a little shaky after the ordeal and didn't feel that I could ride home so I called my knight in shining armour. He came, loaded my trusty steed into the trunk of his car and took me home. While I rested in the living room, he made supper: Lasagne and ceasar salad. To use Heather's words, I think I'll keep him.

When I and my siblings were young, my folks, even though they were poor immigrants made sure that we went to the dentist every 6 months. It probably had something to do with the fact that they both had dentures.

Dr. H was a nice enough man and believed in "no pain" dentistry. When he found a cavity, he'd start drilling until I jumped out of the chair, and then he'd stop, fill the hole and send me on my way. My friends would talk about needles their dentists would give them, including all the gory details as young people are wont to do, and I was pleased that Dr. H was kind enough not to use them.

I found a dentist near my home when I moved to Winnipeg. I forget his name but I'll call him, Dr. Drill'nfill. He informed me that I had 17 cavities and they all needed filling. He drilled four troughs in my teeth, filled them up and sent me on my way. He was the first dentist to tell me that I should floss although after his work, there were few spaces left between my teeth.

Not long after Dr. Drill'nfill, I started going to Dr. J. He is a good dentist and over the years has redone much of the work of Dr. Drill'nfill and Dr. H. Dr. J is not fast, but he is good. I often think that he would be a good sculptor, the way he works on my teeth to make them just right. He has never said anything to me about my previous dentists but he must wonder about them when he's doing work on my mouth.

So, I think I can thank my 2 previous dentists for my most recent problem. Dr. H for not fixing it well enough in the first place and Dr. Drill'nfill for being less than careful. Dr. Drill'nfill retired shortly after he finished working on my mouth and Dr. H went into real estate. Hmmm.

I have a lot of faith in Dr. J and am taking his advice on how to proceed. He recommended an implant, something he doesn't do himself but he has a brother-in-law in Beausejour who can do it cheap...