I had put it off for six years. I had avoided it every time I went to my dentist's office. I had pretended I didn't see it in the mirror. I had even told myself it was nothing to worry about. Yet, deep down, I knew it was something I.had to do.
Receding gums are a problem I've battled for at least a decade, but the problem really started raising some flags with my dentist just before I left to work at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996. The problems centered mostly on my upper teeth, especially my two front teeth and my canines.
I told my dentist I would see about my teeth when I got back from Atlanta. One month later, I marched into the recommended periodontist's office and he gave me the decision — periodontal surgery or face the possibility of losing my teeth at a young age. He talked of removing tissue from the top of my mouth and grafting it onto my gums. He talked of missing a couple of days of work because of the pain and/or bleeding. He mentioned the price tag. I, the guy who walked into the office with all the confidence in the world was now counting the seconds until he could leave and never, ever come back.
Remember, I wasn't a dental magazine editor when this choice was given to me. As a public relations director in the sports world, I thought about the number of hockey, baseball, and football players who didn't have teeth. Heck, it couldn't be so bad, right? It has to be better than periodontal surgery, right? Yep, I told myself, as I walked quickly out of his office.
So now, six years later, I'm a dental magazine editor thinking that the possibility of losing my teeth wouldn't be a great career move for me. Earlier in the year, a good friend had gone to another periodontist to have surgery to correct his receeding gums. He made it through with flying colors. I had told him before the surgery that if it went well for him, I'd give it a shot. Now I had to live up to my word.
While I felt the pressure to live up to my promise (especially since he was repeatedly giving me the periodontist's phone number), I was still putting it off. I used travel schedules, holidays, and any other excuse I could think of until I finally decided I could at least listen to what the periodontist said. Heck, the worst thing that could happen would be that I run screaming out of yet another periodontist's office, right?
On Dec. 20, I went to see Dr. Wynn here in Tulsa. He looked at the problem and told me point blank — it needed to be fixed. He was preaching the same message I had been hearing for six years, and I used the same excuses I had been using for six years. The only difference was that the graft wouldn't come from the palate of my mouth (which definitely helped Dr. Wynn's case). "I'll think about it over Christmas," I told him as I sat up in the chair. One week later, my phone rang. Donna from Dr. Wynn's office was on the other end.
"We have an appointment that just opened up on New Year's Eve morning," Donna said.
A flood of excuses came into my mind, but I finally decided to take the plunge and said OK. Four days later, I was in Dr. Wynn's office. Four hours later, I was done with my procedure. With 33 stitches holding new gum tissue in place over seven teeth, I groggily walked to the waiting room. I slept most of the rest of the day, but was actually awake to ring in the New Year later that night.
On Jan. 20, I.had my final follow-up appointment. Everything seems to be holding together and healing fine. The worst part for me? A pretty bad black eye from the swelling and an allergic reaction from an antibiotic. The best part? No pain. I still can't believe I didn't even have to take even a Tylenol any time after the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve.
The lesson here? There are really two. First, even dental magazine editors can be scared of procedures. Second, I'm thankful for dentists like Dr. Wynn (and so many of you) who help people like me look in the mirror, smile, and think, "Gee, I'm glad I did that."
Read on, this is your magazine...
Kevin Henry, Editor
[email protected]
