It is hard for me to believe that it has been eight months since I had my surgery for the zygoma and mandibular dental implants. It seems like just yesterday we drove home from the clinic after my first post op visit.
The Journey to Dental Implants
Did I ever tell you the funny story that happened on that trip home? We’d stopped at a restaurant so that Hubs could eat lunch. I was sipping my lunch through a straw. As we were sitting, I noticed that the restaurant manager had seated himself diagonal from me, and between me and the door. He kept looking at me. I realized that he also kept looking at Brian. Although I was processing slowly, it dawned on me that the restaurant manager thought Brian had inflicted the swelling and bruising in my face. I thought, “My husband is about to get tagged!” So, I loudly proclaimed I needed new ice because my surgery sites were starting to hurt. As I said it, you could literally see the managers shoulders relax.
We also stopped at a rest stop, so I could go to the restroom, and while in there, a woman asked me, “Honey, are you okay?” I assured her that I was, and that I’d just had major facial surgery. She said, “Oh! I thought…” I can’t tell you how much it warms my heart that a stranger would go out of her way to make sure I was okay.
THE JOURNEY TO DENTAL IMPLANTS – PART 8
We drove to Chicago to check out the dental implant restoration prototypes.
I was so incredibly excited to try in the prototypes.
There was a very small misalignment of the midline of the prototypes, which you can see in the photo below. Honestly, I’m not sure most people will notice it unless they are looking for it. But I notice it, so adjustments will need to be made. With as much as I’ve been through to get this smile, I want it to be straight. Maybe that’s vain. I don’t know. For a few months, I can deal with the slightly offset alignment while I wait.
The next step will be the final installation, so now I have to trust that my clinicians know what they are doing at this point. I’ll return to the clinic on May 10, 2019 for the final install. From there, it will be routine maintenance checks, if all goes well. Just a few more months until I have my final smile.
I had to chuckle when I arrived to my appointment. I mentioned to Dr. Standford that I’d joked with the dental lab about 3D printing me a bunny, since I’d be checking out my prototypes just before Easter. Dr. Stanford looked incredulous and said, “There’s a bunny in the case!”
So, instead of a rabbit’s foot for good luck, I have a 3D printed bunny. It’s something I’ll treasure for years to come.
Want to read the other posts in this journey? You can find them all in the Dental Implants tab.
