Step-by-Step: Implant Journey with Becca Szmanda Dental Center
MEET BECCA Becca works here at Szmanda Dental Center and wants to share her first-hand story. She spends her free time with her family and at sporting events watching the Packers and the Brewers, and also sells Paparazzi Jewelry.
When my baby teeth fell out next to my two front teeth, I did not have any permanent teeth to replace them due to the fact that they were congenitally missing. To replace those teeth in the mean time, I wear what is called a flipper or treatment partial. It s basically a retainer that has two false teeth attached to it to fill in the spaces. To replace those teeth in the mean time, I wear what is called a flipper. - Becca
I decided that I wanted to do something permanent so that I didn t have to deal with the issue of taking my flipper in and out. And when it s out, I have spaces in my smile. So, I decided to look into implants. The decision to go ahead with the implants was based on insurance coverage and maxing out my flex spending account to minimize my out-ofpocket expense. I also didn t want to do a bridge because the teeth next to each of the spaces are perfectly good teeth without fillings and I didn t want to grind them down in order to put a bridge on. At my first appointment: I went to see Dr. Ma, an oral surgeon, at the Marshfield Clinic. At our appointment, he went over my x-rays with me, let me know that my bone level looked good according to those x-rays and he discussed what type of implant would be best for me. He was very thorough explaining everything and answered any questions I had. I was very apprehensive about it because I was scared, but I went ahead and scheduled my appointment. Because I was so nervous, I decided to be put under general anesthetic. You have the option to either be put under or to just have local anesthetic. I believe the difference in price was a couple hundred dollars.
The day of my surgery: I didn t eat or drink anything beforehand since I was being put under. Dr. Ma checked in with me and explained exactly what was going to happen that day and what would happen afterwards as far as healing, etc. After I was asleep: They made an opening in my gum tissue and they used what is called a surgical stent (this was made from a quick impression taken at Szmanda Dental), which helps them to guide the implant to exactly where they need it to be placed. A drill is used to make an opening in my jawbone and the implant is placed. Dr. Ma had mentioned to me that once they get in there and see exactly what my bone looks like, if it isn t sufficient, they may need to do a bone graft in order to bulk it up some. I did need that for one of the implant areas because the bone was slightly soft, and then both implants were placed without problem. The appointment took a couple of hours. When I woke up: I had a different uncomfortable feeling in the area they worked on. There were dissolvable stitches placed and it felt swollen. I had swelling in the area for about a week and was unable to wear my flipper, so that was somewhat inconvenient. It isn t always typical for patients to have swelling to that point, everyone is different.
PICTURED ABOVE: The implant is fitted into the prepared bone and then an attachment called a healing cap, which protrudes through the gum, is placed over it. This healing cap is removed after a 3-6 month period and replaced with a permanent attachment. It looks like a little round disc which is attached to the implant and then also sticks up above the gum. This allows for access to the implant for when the crown is placed. I had to have my flipper adjusted to accommodate for the healing caps. - Becca
After a week, I went back in for a check-up, and they checked on the swelling and to make sure the implants were taking hold and not failing (there is a very low percentage rate of failure). Everything was good and I was told that I needed to schedule follow-up appointments every 4-6 weeks for the next 4-6 months depending on how well I healed. I had my surgery completed in October of 2013 and by January 2014 I was waiting for the go-ahead from Dr. Ma to get crowns placed over those implants. I needed to schedule follow appointments every 4-6 weeks. - Becca
When I m ready for the crowns: I will need to schedule an appointment with my dentist at Szmanda Dental to have an impression taken and then two weeks later I will have the crowns put on and will no longer have to worry about my smile! I am totally glad I went through with the procedure. As I mentioned, I was very apprehensive about it, but now that I am on the tail end of it, I am excited to get my crowns and not have to deal with a removable appliance anymore! It was well worth it. SUCCESS STORY! Szmanda Dental Center