12-28-2024 -- I found gold!

Howdy all. So yesterday I was able to go to the Oral Surgeon for a bad tooth found over a month ago by the dentist. What fun. Not. Actually, the doc (Schneider) was great, and so were all of the assistants. www.ohsurgery.com

Was a long appointment. Got there just before 1 pm and out at 3 pm. He did an extraction, and then an implant. While the injections of local pain killers were ouchy, the yanking not so bad. And the implant a relative breeze since everything was numb by then.

This tooth (#30 molar) had been capped about 50 years ago by a dentist named Preattle (sp?). They used a gold/precious metal alloy mixture back then. So, when it was removed yesterday, I kept the gold part. Based upon what I’ve read, it is likely 40-60% gold (say 10-18 carat), and weighs in around 2-3 grams. That gives it a value in the neighborhood of $60-$90.

I’ll add it to the others that have been replaced along the way.

Oh, and for the curious, that was an expensive day. Seems my top-line dental insurance doesn’t cover implants. And, the extraction and the rest (like the bone graft inserts), are covered at a minimal 40%. Throw in that I hadn’t covered my deductible yet this year, and I’m out just under $3K. That amount will grow when I go back to original dentist to get a crown in about 3-4 months. Insurance will cover some of that, but it will be a new year, new deductible..

As for pain afterwards. Oh my, do you want to talk about miserable? Well, not me. It has been right around 18 hours since I left the appointment. And, while I certainly can tell there is a big gaping hole where the tooth was, and the surrounding tissue is irritated and uncomfortable to touch, pain has ranged from minimal to non-existent. Yep. I am shocked. I’ve had a few extractions (at least 7 when you count wisdom teeth), and multiple implants. I can not recall ever being this pain free right after the procedures.

I am off to the pharmacy shortly to pick up the meds prescribed. Antibiotics (which I’ll take), a antiseptic mouthwash (which I’ll use) and two types of pain killers (which I do not think I will need.). ****** Quick update after picking up prescriptions. Yes, Amoxicillin as an antibiotic. A twice daily after brushing mouthwash. And one each of Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen. Duh, I can use my dual action Advil for the same. Just need to take a couple instead of one. Oh well. I was hoping for some “good” pain killers.

So, for all you young’uns out there, take care of your teeth.

Update — I found that while I only had even a little pain (throbbing if I did too much, or bent over), I was exhausted all day today. Like I don’t have the energy to even be tired. Almost would rather have pain. That I’m used to dealing with daily. Still, I am glad this part is done for now. Keep on keepin’ on..

And, Enjoy Life