I just have to take a moment to share my good news regarding my dental care: I???m using Mo Saleh, DMD-General Dentist. His clinic is called ???Optimal Dental???.
Over the years, I???ve had the worst luck with my molars and wasn???t certain who to turn to for help ??? I???m talking about the kind of help that you can only wish for and seldom find.
I???ve had a molar that for the last twenty years has been faltering, and finally, failing to do its job. My last episode with a previously used dentist entailed building a crown for the fractured/split molar. To make matter worse, after the crown was installed, the tooth required a root-canal ??? can you believe it, a root canal in a brand new crown. The story doesn???t end there because, unfortunately, it was a poor fitting crown, probably because the mold was cast from the fractured tooth. I had to use a toothpick after every meal, or the pain from the trapped food would drive me crazy.
Eventually, the tooth became decayed below the crown line and I was told (by my dentist at the time) that the tooth would have to be completely replaced. I felt rather upset when I learned the cost and the time it would take to execute an implant (nine months, I believe) and felt this procedure should have been executed years earlier, thus saving me the trouble of enduring the poorly fitted crown and uncomfortable root canal.
I pondered my situation for several weeks:
I???m driving down the freeway, one day, and I see a billboard. It had the word ???Implant??? in bold letters along with a phone number. The advertisement stated that the tooth assessment/evaluation would be free of charge. What did I have to lose, I wasn???t happy with the results from my previous dentist so why not explore this new opportunity?
Upon arrival, I discovered two lovely, well groomed ladies at the front desk, Heather and Alisha, who were efficient and very knowledgeable with regards to costs, timelines and logistics. I always look forward to my short visits with them prior to seeing Dr. Saleh.
The evaluation: Long story short, I would have to have an implant. I wasn???t surprised at that confirmation, but pleased to know it could be accomplished in 1/3 less time (six months, instead of nine).
Being a professional contractor, I can appreciate skilled hands, and Dr. Saleh, and his lovely assistant, Kelley, both are highly skilled in their art. My new tooth is an exercise in excellence ??? it fits perfectly, there???s no gap for food to collect. Furthermore, the tooth is made from a material that???s beautiful and practically indestructible. The tooth coloring is a perfect match to the adjacent teeth, and no one will ever know that the tooth isn???t natural unless I choose to share that information.
Here???s one more thing: the molar behind the implant became chipped while I was waiting for the implant crown (the hollow screw that???s placed into the bone is the implant; the crown is the replacement tooth). Kelley performed, like the expert she is, and shaped me a perfect crown for the chipped molar. I received both replacements on the same day (I used a temporary crown until then) and nearly wept when they were in place. My tongue slid across the two, new teeth and I couldn???t believe how wonderful I felt.
It???s been about a week since my last visit, and I have nothing but good news to report. I???m able to chew on the right side of my mouth and there???s no food being trapped between the teeth. The fit is perfect. I will use Dr. Saleh until the day he retires.
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