Dr. Michael Ferguson and the debacle of the implant
I have my one-week check-up tomorrow and I feel undoubtedly better than I did a month ago. I understand now that things never went well with the implant but I had no idea what to expect so I didn't know how bad it was.
I got the front tooth implanted in a very short procedure at Oral Surgery services and felt pretty confident about it. I anticipated a lot of pain and jaw restriction but within an hour after the surgery I was feeling only mild throbbing and soreness. I had planned to be on a liquid diet for a few days and that immediately went out of the window (although I did get that awesome soup from Olive Garden the next day).
I was sore and continued to have throbbing for the week and I just assumed that it was my jawbone trying to adjust to having a piece of titanium in it. I dealt with it for about two weeks, and told Dr. Ferguson about the feelings that I was having when I went for my follow up. I found it odd that they did not x-ray for a surgery post op but since he dismissed it and I felt ok, I let it go, but not without mentioning it to a hygienist friend.
I acknowledged that I was pre-menstrual and that has affected things with my body, such as my nose piercing (causing swelling and soreness), a reoccurring case of dermatitis and oddly, a reoccurring case of athlete's foot (this has only happened since the end of my pregnancy). I figured that that the swelling around the implant coincided with my cycle and I chose to wait it out before calling Dr. Ferguson again.
At that point I was in actual pain and having incredible sensitivity to the teeth around the implant, sensitivity to my chin and even movement of one of the teeth next to the implant. I consulted my hygienist friend again and she expressed some concern but thought that the wiggling might be normal. So, I popped high dose ibuprofen every day for a little over a week, and once my period was over I called the doctor. The pain got a little better, it seemed, enough for me to handle it without the meds but I realized that my chin, the flesh of it, was badly swollen and that was why I was having trouble talking and eating, and especially smiling. I hadn't been able to really smile at my son for almost two weeks. So I called. On Monday, May 16th, I went to see Dr. Ferguson and he finally took an x-ray. He found that I had a massive infection that had caused me to lose some bone, very quickly, around the implant. He said, rather matter of factly, "Yup, that implant's gotta come out. I do, I do." (I think he was kind of zoned out and assumed I would asked "do you really think so?" but he doesn't know me and that's not what I said at all). I was upset since I've been walking around with no bottom front tooth for two months and paid more than $2K for a tooth that I now might not have any chance of having.
The doctor put me on amoxicillin AGAIN (I hate taking the same antibiotics for everything for fear of immunity, and this was my third time on it is less than three months. It affects Nick's digestive system in an unpleasant way and can cause thrush, a painful yeast overgrowth, for both me and him) and told me to come back on Thursday to have it removed. After a day on the antibiotics I felt a lot better, and the pain and swelling was reduced, so I planned to ask if the implant could be spared when I went back. Something completely unexpected happened that not only ruined my day but instilled a fear and concern in me that I won't shake for a long time.
I was not aware that an infection can interfere with the numbing process and I endured some serious pain while Dr. Ferguson tried to numb me right in the front of the implant. At least five shots that caused pain so bad that I thought my bone was breaking. Involuntary tears of pain rolled out of my eyes each time he tried to numb me. We waited and waited as I told them (as the hygienists reluctantly listened) that I was not completely numb. I no longer had the option of being sedated since I'd eaten breakfast so it was TRY to get numb and endure it now or come back another time and get sedated. I kind of wanted to be sedated, but I had this fear that it wouldn't work properly and I'd be conscious and feeling even more pain [I watch too much television] so I hoped for the best. Dr. Ferguson eventually had to numb all of my mouth from the back of my jaw and it seemed to work until he actually got the cap off the implant and he pulled it out. The tooth next to the implant took a beating from the metal suction machine, thanks to the same thoughtless hygienist, all while the doctor tried to clean out the infection while I cried and almost hyperventilated in pain. And he was being gentle. He did what he could before he closed me up and let me go.
After one percoset that afternoon, I found that I had NO PAIN the next day. I wasn't sure if the pain meds were just that strong but I haven't taken a single thing since and I have felt great. I am disappointed that the implant failed, but if I really think about it I am more disappointed that Dr. Ferguson, a very seasoned doctor, doesn't include a very basic procedure in his post-op care that could have saved me a lot of pain. I am having a lot of problems with doctors and quickly losing faith in a group of professionals that may only be out-ranked in nonchalance and lack of attention by public school teachers.
I got the front tooth implanted in a very short procedure at Oral Surgery services and felt pretty confident about it. I anticipated a lot of pain and jaw restriction but within an hour after the surgery I was feeling only mild throbbing and soreness. I had planned to be on a liquid diet for a few days and that immediately went out of the window (although I did get that awesome soup from Olive Garden the next day).
I was sore and continued to have throbbing for the week and I just assumed that it was my jawbone trying to adjust to having a piece of titanium in it. I dealt with it for about two weeks, and told Dr. Ferguson about the feelings that I was having when I went for my follow up. I found it odd that they did not x-ray for a surgery post op but since he dismissed it and I felt ok, I let it go, but not without mentioning it to a hygienist friend.
I acknowledged that I was pre-menstrual and that has affected things with my body, such as my nose piercing (causing swelling and soreness), a reoccurring case of dermatitis and oddly, a reoccurring case of athlete's foot (this has only happened since the end of my pregnancy). I figured that that the swelling around the implant coincided with my cycle and I chose to wait it out before calling Dr. Ferguson again.
At that point I was in actual pain and having incredible sensitivity to the teeth around the implant, sensitivity to my chin and even movement of one of the teeth next to the implant. I consulted my hygienist friend again and she expressed some concern but thought that the wiggling might be normal. So, I popped high dose ibuprofen every day for a little over a week, and once my period was over I called the doctor. The pain got a little better, it seemed, enough for me to handle it without the meds but I realized that my chin, the flesh of it, was badly swollen and that was why I was having trouble talking and eating, and especially smiling. I hadn't been able to really smile at my son for almost two weeks. So I called. On Monday, May 16th, I went to see Dr. Ferguson and he finally took an x-ray. He found that I had a massive infection that had caused me to lose some bone, very quickly, around the implant. He said, rather matter of factly, "Yup, that implant's gotta come out. I do, I do." (I think he was kind of zoned out and assumed I would asked "do you really think so?" but he doesn't know me and that's not what I said at all). I was upset since I've been walking around with no bottom front tooth for two months and paid more than $2K for a tooth that I now might not have any chance of having.
The doctor put me on amoxicillin AGAIN (I hate taking the same antibiotics for everything for fear of immunity, and this was my third time on it is less than three months. It affects Nick's digestive system in an unpleasant way and can cause thrush, a painful yeast overgrowth, for both me and him) and told me to come back on Thursday to have it removed. After a day on the antibiotics I felt a lot better, and the pain and swelling was reduced, so I planned to ask if the implant could be spared when I went back. Something completely unexpected happened that not only ruined my day but instilled a fear and concern in me that I won't shake for a long time.
I was not aware that an infection can interfere with the numbing process and I endured some serious pain while Dr. Ferguson tried to numb me right in the front of the implant. At least five shots that caused pain so bad that I thought my bone was breaking. Involuntary tears of pain rolled out of my eyes each time he tried to numb me. We waited and waited as I told them (as the hygienists reluctantly listened) that I was not completely numb. I no longer had the option of being sedated since I'd eaten breakfast so it was TRY to get numb and endure it now or come back another time and get sedated. I kind of wanted to be sedated, but I had this fear that it wouldn't work properly and I'd be conscious and feeling even more pain [I watch too much television] so I hoped for the best. Dr. Ferguson eventually had to numb all of my mouth from the back of my jaw and it seemed to work until he actually got the cap off the implant and he pulled it out. The tooth next to the implant took a beating from the metal suction machine, thanks to the same thoughtless hygienist, all while the doctor tried to clean out the infection while I cried and almost hyperventilated in pain. And he was being gentle. He did what he could before he closed me up and let me go.
After one percoset that afternoon, I found that I had NO PAIN the next day. I wasn't sure if the pain meds were just that strong but I haven't taken a single thing since and I have felt great. I am disappointed that the implant failed, but if I really think about it I am more disappointed that Dr. Ferguson, a very seasoned doctor, doesn't include a very basic procedure in his post-op care that could have saved me a lot of pain. I am having a lot of problems with doctors and quickly losing faith in a group of professionals that may only be out-ranked in nonchalance and lack of attention by public school teachers.