Friday, October 06, 2006
It Only Takes Time and Pressure
(4)
At the next appointment I brought my very first (upper) denture. I informed the dentist that the current wax model (thump) was unacceptable (thump). He was to instruct his 'denturist' to use that denture as a general guide to design the next wax model. Another long wait.
Wax model #2 arrived and I took it home with me. I should mention that there was an obscene (to me) buildup of wax crap just prior to the two front teeth on the upper. This buildup caused me to again lisp like a pansy. The dentist removed it. The teeth did not quite mesh. Also, one of the left bicuspids (tap) was grossly out of position. So, using my intuition (and also the advice of my very first denture dentist) I put those suckers in and began a slow, gentle grind. Gradually, over the period of several hours, the upper and lower teeth in the models adjusted their relationship to each other in a most satisfactory manner, including the offending bicuspids.
When I arrived for the next visit I seemed to be definitely less popular with the ladies there. In the examining room I informed the dentist (and his assistant (boom) Marci) that I had disregarded his advice not to keep the dentures in my mouth for more than ten minutes. I explained to him in sort of geological terms that I used heat, time, and pressure (though I did not use those exact (tap) words) to adjust the teeth in the models and that I had eventually arrived at an acceptable 'fit' and that I expected that the final product would reflect that diligence. I suggested that I may have saved us considerable adjustment time.
The dentist replied that he had never heard of that technique but that he would consider using it with future patients. I think it was during this visit that Marci asked me about (boom) my grandchildren.
At the next appointment I brought my very first (upper) denture. I informed the dentist that the current wax model (thump) was unacceptable (thump). He was to instruct his 'denturist' to use that denture as a general guide to design the next wax model. Another long wait.
Wax model #2 arrived and I took it home with me. I should mention that there was an obscene (to me) buildup of wax crap just prior to the two front teeth on the upper. This buildup caused me to again lisp like a pansy. The dentist removed it. The teeth did not quite mesh. Also, one of the left bicuspids (tap) was grossly out of position. So, using my intuition (and also the advice of my very first denture dentist) I put those suckers in and began a slow, gentle grind. Gradually, over the period of several hours, the upper and lower teeth in the models adjusted their relationship to each other in a most satisfactory manner, including the offending bicuspids.
When I arrived for the next visit I seemed to be definitely less popular with the ladies there. In the examining room I informed the dentist (and his assistant (boom) Marci) that I had disregarded his advice not to keep the dentures in my mouth for more than ten minutes. I explained to him in sort of geological terms that I used heat, time, and pressure (though I did not use those exact (tap) words) to adjust the teeth in the models and that I had eventually arrived at an acceptable 'fit' and that I expected that the final product would reflect that diligence. I suggested that I may have saved us considerable adjustment time.
The dentist replied that he had never heard of that technique but that he would consider using it with future patients. I think it was during this visit that Marci asked me about (boom) my grandchildren.
