Toothless but still Smiling

I have mentioned in previous BLOGS how blessed I am- I have a WONDERFUL husband, two adorable dogs, a caring family, a lovely home, a decent job....the list goes on and on!!! But there are two things that I have been blessed with that are not so wonderful- grey hair and BAD TEETH!!!!
I can not believe how crappy my teeth are!!! I NEVER had dental problems as a child, but since I hit my mid-twenties, my teeth have been literally rotting out of my face!!! I am convinced it is genetic, as I brush twice a day, floss, and eat reasonably- EVERY TIME I've gone to the dentist these past few years I've had to get fillings, crowns, or root canals. I thought it couldn't get any worse....

SADLY I WAS WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!

I made appointments for Ryan and I to go to the dentist about a month ago. I told my new dentist that I had pain under one of the crowns I had done in California. He sent me to an Endodontist, who discovered that I had a failed root canal!!! A failed root canal??? I've never even heard of such a thing!!!

You will have to have the ENTIRE tooth (roots and all) EXTRACTED and then these will be your 2 options:

Option #1: A Bridge

A bridge would require that the entire bad tooth be extracted and the 2 good teeth surrounding the "hole" where the bad tooth was, be ground down to "nubs," so that they can be capped, with a fake middle tooth attached to them. See pic below:

Option #2: A Dental Implant

The entire bad tooth will be extracted. Once the gum heals and bone growth returns (if bone does not regrow, a bone graft is needed), a metal screw (yes, screw) gets inserted into the jawbone. Once that heals, an abutment gets screwed on top. Once that heals, a crown is attached to the abutment.

I'm sure you are thinking the same thing as me....they are both HORRIFIC!!!!

Okay, so what's a gal to do? Being that I am only 28, I opted for the implant...no sense in ruining 2 good teeth with a bridge. The implant process is LLOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGGG and painful and expensive (one implant is the cost of a used car....LOL). Thank God for insurance. I am hoping to pay 1,000-1,500 out of pocket- which believe it or not is actually pretty decent if you consider what I would have to pay if I didn't have dental insurance.

On Friday, Ryan and I both took off work, so I could have the tooth extracted. I was offered Nitrous Oxide or Intravenous Sedation, but I didn't want to pay for it (I know that's sad, but these dentists are going to send me to the poor house), so I just went with a local. There was a lot of pressure, but all and all not as scary as I had envisioned! I had Ryan take some pics of my mouth to show you...


The hole in the back of my mouth is a BIG one. The tooth they took out was one of my molars. I have to wait until the summer for it to heal and then they are going to shove a screw in my jawbone- Phase one of the "implant" process.

So in the meantime, I have an empty spot in the back of my mouth just like a hillbilly. It is soooooooo horrid!!!! But the good news is once I get the implant, I won't set off any metal detectors in the airport (I know, I am a dork- but that was the first thing I asked the Oral Surgeon....heehee).

Ryan is such a good hubby. He took care of me- he took me to the pharmacy, got me an ice pack, gauze and my meds. I did okay in the morning, but by the afternoon, the Vicodin I was taking made me so nauseated, I was bed-ridden!!! It is the end of day 2, and I can finally say I am feeling much better. I am able to eat soft foods on the "good" side of my mouth. However, I am in more pain than I should be, because I refuse to take the Vicodin after the whole nausea thing...I'm popping Ibuprofen and it isn't as strong as I'd like... Too bad that as soon as I'm good and healed I am going to have to go back and get that screw put in...

DID I MENTION THAT I HATE HATE HATE

THE DENTIST!?!?!

Okay, enough about my dental drama....Spring is here and we are loving it!!! Flowers are starting to bloom and the trees are beginning to blossom. We have REALLY loved experiencing the 4 seasons...

Ryan went golfing this past week at Forest Park Golf Course in Noblesville. I accompanied him. It was great! Beautiful blue skies and warm weather!!

Here is a pic of the tree-lined drive into the park...

Forest Park is pretty cool. It has an aquatic center, skateboard park, mini-golf course, playground, train museum, carousel and a 9 hole golf course! Here is a pic I snapped of the carousel.Here is hole #1 of the course....If you look closely, you can see the County Courthouse Clock Tower in the background.Here is Ryan taking a swing!

Lovely fairway :)Ryan and his toothless Caddy...LOLAnother pretty shot of the course...
This weekend we took the dogs to the park again. Last week when we went, the trails were closed due to flooding and we really wanted to check them out.

We drove through Historic Downtown Noblesville to get there. This area reminds me of Redlands, CA. There are a TON of Victorian style homes and buildings. It is very charming and one of my favorite parts of Noblesville.

Don't you think these buildings are so neat???

Here is our courthouse. Noblesville is the County Seat for Hamilton County.

More cool architecture....

Here I am on the trail with Frodie! The river in back of us is the White River. It flows through the entire town of Noblesville and down into Southern Indy.

Ryan and Sammy :)

Run Frodie, R-U-N!!!

The "Happy Couple"...Happy Trails to you...Prairie Wetlands

Wildflowers

It was a beautiful day! We find ourselves embracing the outdoors when the weather cooperates!
We walked over 3 miles...Frodo couldn't hang. He needed mom to carry him...LOL

When we got back to the parking lot we had to stop and check out the horses...

Happy Pups on the ride home :)

Sleepy Pups on the ride home :)

Until next time....xo