May 30, 2010

Smiling wide in Tel Aviv: My new dental implants

Dr. Shai Frankenthal and Sivan Amran, assistant

Don't you feel great just looking at this pair? He lives in Tel Aviv's suburban Givat Shmuel. She (her beauty is equal parts Yemeni and Turkish), shifted from office administrator back to dental assistant during the two-hour dental implant surgery so that I could squeeze her hands (my request). They are in Dr. Philip Kaplan's practice — ten minutes' walking distance from City Hall, and twice that from where I live.

For those who follow the fine points of dental implant surgery — 
  • Phase One: Four teeth were extracted and three implants were placed. 
  • Phase Two (early 2011): A permanent bridge will be anchored to the three implants, replacing five extracted teeth (one was extracted last year, when it broke). 
A removable "flipper" covers the... gaping... hole until Phase Two, when Dr. Kaplan begins the restoration work, and completes the implant process.

At the start of the surgery, Dr. Shai said, in Hebrew: You will be so happy with the results. What you had was a cat-as-tro-phah! I laughed my head off (mouth immobile, wide open).

This team joins Dr. Vicki Zaharov, internal medicine specialist, in a league of my own — outstanding Israeli health care professionals  whom I shamelessly promote.

Dr. Philip Kaplan
Dr. Shai Frankenthal
Zeitlin 25
Tel Aviv, Israel
Phone in Israel 03.696.0650
(from abroad ++972.3.696.0650)