The Surgery

Posted on February 18, 2004 in Dentition

I’m back and I have to declare that implant surgery is about the most boring procedure I have ever been subjected to. The needles incited the usual panic: my hands fluttered like tethered sparrows, I recited the mantra “this too shall pass”, and I concentrated on taking long deep breathes so that I would not push Dr. D’almo away and flee from the office. I’ve never liked needles.

They used two bright lights to illuminate the flat stretch of gum. Kindly, they put a mask around my eyes so that I wouldn’t have to suffer through the third degree. Then it was a matter of some cutting and some drilling. I heard him ask for drills in various sizes — 2.2, 2.8, 2.5 — and, at one point, a razor. As he worked, he paused to insert a post and take measurements by x-ray until he got the titanium screw to settle at just the right depth. They attached a miniscule manhole cover, sewed up the edges, and gave me a cold pack. I’ve had fillings that pained me more.

I went home and ate ice cream. I can even take walks around the neighborhood as long as I stick to flat ground. This was a breeze.