This was going to be a long, detailed post regarding my last dental surgeries and my unhappiness at the result.  Instead, it will be just a quick summary, I mean, as quick as I can.

Life is too short and I am way too blessed to continue raging about this. 

I had my 4^th follow with the oral surgeon after my last two procedures.  He was very dismissive about my complaints.  He told me that all is fine and that this is the way it is.

While none of what I did was for aesthetic reason, I didn’t expect that this procedure would make the receding gum around my front implant even worst.  What I did was various treatments in the gum around the implants, including LANAP and LAPIP.

I also cannot believe that he charged me to add more filling to the top of the implants that his assistant did on the last follow up, but that it had already come out. 

This is where the Universe is funny and always finds a way to make things even for me.

The day I saw that the dentist had put in a claim and my part was $52.50, I get the gift card for $50.00. Almost even 😊 Perhaps I just like to see meaning in these unrelated events, but it is comforting somehow.

I was going to fight this charge, but for someone that paid $5,000.00 for these procedures (it was 6K, but the insurance paid 1K), what is another $50.00?  I know there is the matter of principal, but my time is valuable, so I will just leave it alone.

He lost a patient, and I will never refer him to anyone. I cannot believe I drove almost 2 hours to Stuart, Florida, to supposedly the best oral surgeon, to get this treatment.

Prior to the surgeries, I had already warned him that procedures in my mouth normally don’t work as expected and it is always the worst-case scenario.  I feel he disregarded that warning and just assumed that all would be fine. 

Perhaps he was just guilty of not managing well my expectations and not letting me know that what he was about to do would actually make the gum recede even more.  His answer now ii to say that the only alternative is to do a procedure to lower my lip, so my gum and teeth would not show as much when I smile.  Really?!?!?!?  That is absolutely insane to me.

So, my plan now is to try to keep my teeth impeccably clean (which I have always done) and hopefully not have any infections or inflammations that will need any additional procedure.  Eventually I will have to redo the front implant.   This is a huge undertaking because of the way the original implant was done, and I will postpone it as long as I can.

I have gone to the best (and most expensive) dentists around, so it is disappointing that no one seems to have the right answer or to do a job that is lasting and correct.  I have been going to the dentist since I was 6, and it has always been a struggle.

At this point I have spent over 60K in my teeth – not a single penny has been for anything aesthetic.  Insurance has paid about 5K on top of that, and they normally cover nothing.

I made the decision that I will no longer do any more extensive and expensive procedures in the US.  If I am going to be left disappointed, I may as well do it all in Brazil for a fraction of the price.

We do have amazing dentists in Brazil, but I could never spend the required time there to do anything extensive such as implants, bone and gum grafts.   But now that I am more equipped to work remotely, staying for long periods of time in Brazil is a reality.

There is more to this case, to the procedures done, including something that I said no to, but was done anyway.  But as I said, I am moving on.

All is for the best.  There is always a lesson.  My advice, get it in writing exactly all that is going to be done.  Don’t ever assume that if someone has only 5-star reviews he will be amazing to you as well.

My real estate attorney that cost me $9,000.00 more when I sold my condo, also had only 5-star reviews.

Wishing you all a blessed Memorial Day weekend!