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All I want for Christmas is my three front teeth!

Let us know how you get on.

As for me, the dentist has said I can hold on the denture until the crown drops out again. My choice, and if I want to go for it before then, I just have to call and make the appointment.

I have, however, had one hell of a month with my bottom teeth. Several of them are root-filled and when the x-rays showed a dark patch at the bottom of another, suggesting a slight infection, she decided an apisectomy would be the best preventative measure. That meant another root-filling, which she duly did. Somehow, though, the treatment disturbed whatever the infection was and it went from painful to agonising, and from one tooth to the entire bottom jaw. Two courses of antibiotics did the job but turned me into a virtual zombie at the same time. I actually had to miss a practice, it was so painful.

The dentist has now decided that the apisectomy is paramount. I have to call the hospital tomorrow for a consultant appointment. Meantime she's going to refer me to a private clinic (NHS funded) in the hope that we can get it done more quickly.

And when I get my hand around the throat of the little bee-atch who pushed me down that step all those years ago ... well, she won't need teeth!
 
Let us know how you get on.

As for me, the dentist has said I can hold on the denture until the crown drops out again. My choice, and if I want to go for it before then, I just have to call and make the appointment.

I have, however, had one hell of a month with my bottom teeth. Several of them are root-filled and when the x-rays showed a dark patch at the bottom of another, suggesting a slight infection, she decided an apisectomy would be the best preventative measure. That meant another root-filling, which she duly did. Somehow, though, the treatment disturbed whatever the infection was and it went from painful to agonising, and from one tooth to the entire bottom jaw. Two courses of antibiotics did the job but turned me into a virtual zombie at the same time. I actually had to miss a practice, it was so painful.

The dentist has now decided that the apisectomy is paramount. I have to call the hospital tomorrow for a consultant appointment. Meantime she's going to refer me to a private clinic (NHS funded) in the hope that we can get it done more quickly.

And when I get my hand around the throat of the little bee-atch who pushed me down that step all those years ago ... well, she won't need teeth!

Ooh, sounds painful. Hope it all goes okay for you.
 
Yes, mine hasn't been painful...apart from to my bank account....I wish you well, RB (hey, 'RB', that's me, too!) :)
 
If anyone has any dental playing problems I can give general advice as I am sax playing dentist.
Firstly I always recommend getting some dental "study models" made of dental stone/plaster by your dentist £30-50 approx. Keep these in bubble wrap somewhere safe.
These represent an exact copy of your set up re tooth postion ,length and shape .
If you decide to eat a pavement or have a similar accident they are a precise copy of what has been lost or damaged.
Any dentist then has a perfect template.

Also keep up with regular hygienist cleanings and if necessary see a Periodontist(gum specialist) to prevent problems escalating.
Sorting out this can get expensive we could be talking Selling your Mark VI territory if you need implants.

People don't realise that John Cotlrane's double embouchure was because his top teeth were loose and tender.
Sonny Rollins Sound was never the same after he got "Falsies" in the 70's.
Ronnie Scott never got on with his implants which led to him being unable to play and that spiralled downwards.

Finally I used to play in a big band with a West Indian Ska chap who had both his front teeth missing.He never had a denture that I saw. However the gum was calloused and was exactly the size of a Lawton 8* metal mouthpiece which slotted in.He sounded great. Apparently an Otto Link was too big!!!
 
Ah, so YOU are the guy whose saxophones we are paying-for :)))
 
Also keep up with regular hygienist cleanings and if necessary see a Periodontist(gum specialist) to prevent problems escalating.
Sorting out this can get expensive we could be talking Selling your Mark VI territory if you need implants.

I've been waiting for someone like you. .... that sounds a bit 'stalkerish' doesn't it......? But when you say "could be talking Selling your ...... if you need implants" - does that mean that it's problematic to play with implants? I ask, because I have a 'dental issue' and am probably looking at an implant. I'm only a beginner, in fact it was after my first lesson that my front cap fell out and was deemed irreplacable. I was devastated.
 
I've got an appointment to see the consultant on August 12th. How long I'll wait after that I have no idea. That's assuming the faint black area the dentist saw on the original x-ray was just an infection and not something nastier. Says it could be a cyst. Saxodent, anything else it could be? I'm sort of a tiny bit nervous. Had an apisectomy done in the past and several root canal treatments, usually because of very obvious, recurring infections. Bottom jaw is full of them. We're not sure why - possibly a result of the above mentioned incident. But the word 'cyst' has never been mentioned before. Please reassure me!:eek:
 
Hi Red Bottom
An apicectomy is indicated when all else fails on a conventional root canal treatment.
Redoing the Root canal is always the first option with or without some form of long term disinfection of the internals of the tooth.
I you have a shadow on the xray on a root filled tooth you need to determine if it is enlarging ,reducing or static in size.
A cyst is usually when the edge of the shadow is very defined by a white border .Like a soap bubble in a appearance.
99.9% of shadows related to root filed teeth are just evidence of some form of chronic infection on the tooth in its history.Not anything else more sinister!!
You only need definite intervention if it is enlarging despite root canal therapy,or having recurrent infections or above a certain size. Periodic series of xrays is the best indication of the situation.
Many do just reabsorb themselves over time or leave a scar on the bone showing on the xray.
Your Surgeon will be able to give the best indication of what is the best treatment.
Watch and wait is also a treatment option.!
However even done by a specialist the long term success of Apicectomies is around 50% at best for the tooth.
Regards Saxodent
 
Thanks for that. I'm a little more easy now.

The shadow was actually there before the root filling and I think, given my history, the dentist wanted it nipped in the bud before anything started (although this actually 'started' after the RCT). There wasn't a white border, as far as I recall, but then it was a very tiny shadow on a very small x-ray, so I couldn't be sure. At least the consultant is the same one as before, so I know I'm in safe hands.

I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I may well reach the end of my life with very few of my own teeth still in place, so the success rate isn't something I'll dwell on. Que sera sera on that one. Just as long as there's not too much pain and everything still looks OK (and I can still play the sax), I'll be happy.

Much of it came into perspective when I watched one of those medical programmes a couple of years ago. A lovely 23-year-old girl had had to have most of her teeth removed in order to treat her mouth cancer. With cancer beaten, she was left with the jawline of an old woman, and so her surgeon managed to get some NHS-funded implants for her. The cameras were with her when she went for the final fitting. They made her look so pretty and, when she was given a mirror to see, she cried with joy. The camera crew cried, I cried and even the surgeon cried. So I don't mind not being able to get implants if it means people like her can get their lives back.
 
Had a letter from the clinic at the weekend and phoned them today to make a 'consultation appointment' for this Friday. However, she then said,'Oh, make sure you bring someone with you to drive you home afterwards.' Seems they're going to do it there and then. Aarrgghh!! Daddeeee!
 
Good luck RB, rather you than me cos I hate dentists..... present company excepted of course
 
I had a 'consultation appointment' last week. They didn't suggest I take someone to drive me home, but I wished they had..... I got charged £100 to be told I could have an implant fitted that will cost me £2900!!

Good luck with yours.
 
Yes RB, we are all there for you(but not in the chair, thanks).

Mine are fine now, I think ... I am still a bit tentative about playing, but there is no real reason to be.

Best of luck.
 
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It seems that this is an NHS as well as a private practice, and so there will be no payment. Just that the dentist happens to be able to carry out the procedure I need whereas my own dentist can't (not sure whether that's down to facilities or qualifications). The good thing is it's just across the road from my own dentist, so not far to go.

At least I should be playing again by the end of the summer.
 
I have a stay of execution. The dentist didn't like the look of the surrounding teeth on the x-ray and thinks there may be some complications, so he won't do it. Wants me to go to the hospital after all. Roll on next Thursday. Not!
 
I had a 'consultation appointment' last week. They didn't suggest I take someone to drive me home, but I wished they had..... I got charged £100 to be told I could have an implant fitted that will cost me £2900!!

Good luck with yours.

He must be looking to replace his Ferrari at those prices. Or maybe it just needs a service.
 
He must be looking to replace his Ferrari at those prices. Or maybe it just needs a service.

That's not far out from the going rate. I was quoted £2,000 per tooth a few years ago. The problem is that I had at the time six teeth missing. Twelve grand was a bit strong, so I just had a high quality private denture made up for six hundred quid which has suited me fine.
 
One of the local dentists was charging a similar price. I just happen to know it included a 30% (ish) commission to any of the other dentists in the practice who made the sale. I assume the practice owner, who'd actually do the work, was taking a similar cut.
 
Just back from maxillofacial. Consultant's given me the all-clear. Says the black shadow is probably more pronounced because of the recent infection. Apparently it can take months for surrounding tissue to heal fully after a bad infection, and that's probably what it is. If it wasn't hurting before the RCT, he said, and isn't hurting now (and he's had a good look and tapped around everywhere), then the best thing is to leave it alone unless/until it flares up again.

So I am now a happy bunny, looking forward to getting back to uninterrupted rehearsals next month. Woohooo!:w00t:
 
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