For Those Who Missed Out On Our Last Newsletter...here is the story that appeared on Page 2 (John's Soap Box), entitled: "The Stuff of Which Tears are Made."

When Gabby was about eight years old, she was already a seasoned dancer, but was performing in one of her first big girl productions...the Nutcracker, which was being done in Pullman. Ever the dedicated friend, I tossed the wife and all four kids in the car and headed for Pullman on that December day, for no other reason than to support Gabby.
As I nestled into my seat, I sat next to Gabby's dad, Pat, who was the best man at our wedding and long time friend from my days back at the University of Idaho. Many of you will recall me making mention of a band of "particularly hairy brothers from Grangeville" a few years back, but that is an entirely different story all together. None-the-less, I am sitting next to Pat, when he leans over and whispers in my ear.
"Do you really like this stuff?" he lightly asked...except he didn't say "stuff."
"Well," I replied, "Not really, but we are here to support Gabby, you know."
As Pat's torture continued, I remember the long production finally coming to an end and Pat and his son, Sam, literally running up the stairs to the door...there must have been a Notre Dame game on that afternoon, 'cuz I can't remember Pat ever moving so quickly...least not anytime over the past ten years!!
Now, buzz forward about six years to another Christmas production...this one called "The Twelve Days of Christmas," with an even more polished Gabby dancing ballet as one of the Three French Hens. Wow!! What a difference a few years makes...I mean, 'she doesn't even look like she's having a seizure on stage anymore, ' I thought to myself!!
Once the production was over, I made a quick call to Gabby's house to congratulate her, but instead got her old dad, Pat, on the phone instead.
"Hey man, I need to talk to your daughter," I said. When Pat asked me why, I said, "I just wanted her to know that we went to her dance and she looked beautiful on the stage and she danced amazingly."
"I know," Pat replied with a gulp, "I can't hardly watch her dance anymore without wanting to cry."
What an amazing transition, I remember thinking, as I hung up the phone...from "stuff" to tears in about five years. I certainly don't recall him ever making mention of anything like that when he talked about Sam!!
And so it is with dads and their little girls...
So, the summer of 2010 finally did catch on sometime in June, and my little girl went to a local week-long dance camp. Upon completion of the camp, a short production was held at Pioneer Park, where I found myself sitting in a lawn chair, with about twenty other dads, watching their daughters, with lumps growing in their throats...stupid Pat!!
Just a few days ago, I was visiting with my assistant Evie, who was talking about how beautiful her children are. "Excuse me sister, but everyone knows that my kids are far more beautiful," I remember thinking. "They do have an exceptionally handsome father, after all."
Which brings me to something I think we all know...that our parents simply love us and that we will always be beautiful in their biased eyes...sometimes warts and all.
So it was, on August 12th, that my wife lost her little brother, Ethan, to a tragic mining accident in Nevada. As I sat there in the wet Elko grass, dodging water from the ill timed sprinklers, I listened intently to my mother-in-law, Lorene, as she talked lovingly of her recently departed son...and all I could picture was her holding his chubby, scruffy face and staring intently into his eyes...like only a mother can do, saying "...you sure are a handsome man, you sure are a handsome man..." Then, just as I do with my "littles," I could envision her holding his face only 30 years earlier, saying, "...you sure are a good looking boy...you sure are a good looking boy."
As one of my favorite family physicians relayed to Dealiah and I a few weeks ago, the bad stuff in life, goes away, but the good always stays and will always be there...it just gets stronger and stronger. Dr. Chavez is right, but he actually said that far more eloquently than I just did.
Love 'em while they're here, 'cuz they won't stay little forever and God forbid, you might just out live them. I wish you eternal peace Ethan.

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IMPLANT

Conservative Single Tooth Replacement

From the Newsletter “Your Valley Smile” Fall 2004

Bridges & Implants

     Historically, bridges have been the treatment of choice, for both patients and dentists, when replacement of a single tooth was called for.

     Today, though, dentists are looking to be more and more conservative in their treatment of patients, and have identified implants as a predictable and economically sound option for those in need of replacement of just one tooth.

     Obviously, several factors come into play here, like the health of the surrounding bone and the overall health of the neighboring teeth, but for those in need, the end result can be just as esthetic and functional as the original tooth.

My Wife...Pre-John

     When she was 18 years old, my wife tried to break a fall at a Pocatello swimming pool with her mouth.  As a result, she fractured one of her central incisors, necessitating the need for a root canal and crown.  Twelve years later, the tooth finally gave up, and had to be removed.

     Due to the location of the fracture, our local periodontist, Dr. Brad Morlock, removed the tooth and root tip.  He also successfully placed a bone graft in the extraction site to buttress and preserve the bone.

     A few months later, Dr. John  Morrison,  one of our two area oral surgeons, placed her implant.  After a few months of healing, I was able to complete her case, and she now has a porcelain tooth which looks and functions like the real thing.

     My wife’s situation was unique in that neither adjacent tooth had anything wrong with them.  A traditional bridge would have required preparing (drilling) these teeth for crowns, punishing them unfairly for the loss of their clumsy neighbor.

Economics

     To be perfectly honest, since we were able to do most of the work “in house,” a significant savings was realized on her tooth replacement.  Regardless, a traditional fee-for-service patient could expect to pay approximately the same fee as a three unit bridge.  All things being equal, though, I would personally spend my money on a single tooth implant and porcelain crown.

     I never make as much on such cases, but the end result, for many patients, far surpasses an oftentimes less favorable bridge.  My professional satisfaction, comes from meeting the needs of my patients in as conservative a manner as possible, all the while staying mindful of the economic factors that each individual come in with.

Future

      I would love to say that the cost of such services will eventually come down.  Regretfully, this seems to be just wishful thinking on my part, though I am hopeful that as more and more specialists and general practitioners become trained in the art of implant placement, costs will come down.  Until that happens, at least for me, I will continue to refer my patients to our talented specialists for placement, and make every effort to pass along any potential savings I can so that this “state of the art” service can be enjoyed by many to come.

Where Do I Start?

     Depending upon the patient and the situation, I refer my implant placements to one of our specialist in town.  We are happy to provide you referrals if you are interested.  Moreover, if you feel you are a candidate for such a procedure, we will happily provide you a FREE consultation, here.