⭐︎Case Closed 1447

It's over.
I don't feel any discomfort anymore.
What is pain?
Is that something you can eat? That's how I feel.

Right after the start of the year, I had severe gum pain.
Even though I was fine the day before?
I endured the unbearable and went to the clinic after the holidays.
You said, 'It will peak in about 4 days'?
It's going to swell more than this?
It's going to hurt more than this?

The swelling and pain didn't subside, and I couldn't think of any words other than 'painful'.
The painkillers were so ineffective that I wondered if they were actually just candy.

There was a pocket of pus at the tip of a root that was bent at a right angle.
Treatment wasn't possible while the crown was still there.
When the director, who graduated from the department of conservative dentistry and doesn't like to extract teeth, tells me, 'Please let me extract it,' I have no choice but to give up.

For various reasons, I have been using a partial denture for a while (I wrote the reason somewhere).
Does having a tooth extracted mean I need a new denture?
How much will that cost?
The skilled director added a tooth to my existing partial denture in a jiffy, for 2,510 yen (so cheap).
Although some swelling and numbness remain, there is no pain.

I feel discomfort every time I put in or take out the renewed partial denture.
'It should be fine once I get used to it.'
'The longer I wear it, the faster I'll get used to it,' I judged for myself.
The discomfort grew into pain, and eventually, I couldn't keep it in anymore.
This denture is no good.
When I told the director, 'It's too painful to wear,' he said, 'The swelling, inflammation, and the wound from the extraction haven't fully healed yet.'
That makes sense.

It's not the denture that's no good, it's me.
Spartan methods are no good.
Don't overdo it.
Too much is as bad as too little.
Gradually increase the wearing time, and take it out if you feel pain.
Even during meals, take it out if it hurts.
Little by little, step by step.

Oh, that's right.
There was something unpleasant about the order of the appointments at that time, and it left me feeling uneasy.

Whether it was the steady progress or just time healing it, the pain gradually subsided.
It's fine to keep it in except when sleeping or brushing my teeth.
Eating is also fine.
It's just that food debris gets stuck (accumulates) between the partial denture and the gums.
Does this much really get stuck (accumulate)?
If I'm at home, I can immediately take out the partial denture to rinse it with water or brush it, but I can't do that when I'm out, which is a bit unpleasant.

March 18th (Wed), it's cloudy, but there's no wind and I don't feel cold.
The forecast says it will start raining in the afternoon? Or evening?
I don't feel any swelling or numbness.
There is no heat or pain.
It's my dental appointment day, but what was I going in for again?
I hope it doesn't rain until I get home.

'I'm going to adjust the inside.'
Fine-tuning the inside of the partial denture to fit the shape of the gums.
Oh, how happy I am, so that was the reason for this visit.
The interval of about a month was the time needed for the condition of my gums to return to normal.

Minimizing the gaps so food debris doesn't get stuck (accumulate), while also allowing for enough looseness so that I don't feel stress while wearing it and can easily put it in and take it out.
'Put it in -> bite -> try putting it in and taking it out myself -> adjust'
Repeat this until I'm satisfied.
The director is truly thorough about these things.
Because even the smallest discomfort, if overlooked, will affect my QOL later on.

By the way, my late father was also taken care of by this director.
My late father had trouble with dentures, found it hard to chew hard or squishy things, food debris easily got stuck, and when it did, his gums would hurt intensely, and he was dissatisfied with his previous dentist.
For this director, adjusting dentures is a piece of cake.
He will stay with you as long as it takes until you are satisfied.
Thinking that, I introduced him.

It didn't work out.
For my late father, 'good at adjusting dentures' meant 'he should be able to fit them without me saying anything' and 'it should fit perfectly the first time.'
That's not how it works.
Since there are individual differences, you have to put your problems and requests into words.
The goal won't come to you from the other side.

Taking 'more comfortable than dentures' and 'can be used for a lifetime' at face value, he ignored everyone's advice and went to another clinic for implants.
Titanium roots and ceramic crowns last a long time.
But think about it carefully.
The gums you embed them into are your own, right?
They will deteriorate, right?
The condition will change, right?

As expected, the implants became wobbly and he couldn't chew as he wanted.
On top of the initial cost being ridiculously high, the running costs were also ridiculously high, and his dissatisfaction erupted.
Even when he tried to switch clinics, he learned that there are dentists who 'do not see implant patients.'
Because there is no other treatment method other than 'pulling out the implants.'
See, that's why I told him so.

It's not limited to dentists, but you can't call someone a 'great doctor' just because they have knowledge and skills.
More important than skill is:
Can they propose appropriate procedures or treatments?
Can they present the pros and cons?
Can they provide advice that aligns with maintaining or improving QOL?
In addition,
Can they listen patiently to the patient's complaints?
Can they provide explanations (not persuasion) that the patient can accept?
Are they willing to repeat until the patient is satisfied?
I think it's things like that.

If you want to see a great doctor, the patient must also become a great patient.
Explaining and reporting the circumstances and situation properly, clearly conveying your wishes, or repeating questions until you are satisfied.
Building a good rapport is also an effort you have to make yourself, isn't it?
Remembering my late father, I thought about such things.

It started to rain.
I bet that's my father's fault.
Is he crying because 'someone spoke ill of him'?
Because he was such a stubborn guy.

2026.3.18.Wed

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