Dental - running battle my whole life

Kick Back and Relax in the Cheers! Forum. Thoughts on life or want advice or thoughts from other pca members. Or just plain "chill". Originator of da Babe threads.
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reno
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Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by reno »

my whole life from( pre-teen years we had problems ) .this is do to hitting my chin had twice riding bikes .plus a work accident to compound it as a young adult . well Tuesday went and had major dental work done . went in and had my teeth extracted and denture installed and had to have bone graphs implanted . lots of fun and costly right now under 4 meds for the next week plus . this is a 6 month plus treatment plan . face is swelled and some bruising so not working and hanging at home . they sent me home after 3 .5 hours in surgery . with a upper temporary denture -(trying to get use to the new hockey puck in my mouth ) and a partial on my lower mouth . ya its all fun . mouth all stitched and swelled up inside .
for 3 days in a roll we had to go into the dentist office . 1 st to pay for the work and sign release papers .walked out with 2 sheets of paper .one the bill we just payed for the work .2nd a script for a single pill we had to take a hour before the morning appointment .
day of surgery walk in going right to the room . they hook me up with a mask that attached to a cart with 4 or 5 silver canisters . and that all i remember till we wake up just before he done .felt him pulling the last one or two tooths . hurt for what seem like a minute . then get out wife with me in office and told what to do and so on. given 4-5 slips of papers - one after care instruction - the rest of the papers are more script to be filled . 2 for pain pills - one antibiotics and ones steroid. the 3 trip the next day is for check up and adjustment and denture care instructions . go back in 30 day for a follow up unless after a week or so pain still there or need a adjustment . this will be day 4 and its getting better . able to kind of swallows soft food or eat a hard boil egg. trying to conserve the pain meds at least the stronger one . the ibuprofen im using as prescribe they help reduce the swelling. ( its fun removing and inserting the denture and lower plate . ) will say did talk about implants .my luck im not able to go that route plus cost its crazy .but my bone loss was to much . did talk to 3 dr. before the one that did the work and all agree no implants for me. :(
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Losbot
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by Losbot »

Sorry to hear that Reno. I'm not a fan of going to the dentist and was not happy when I needed to have a root canal done. Can't imagine what you're going through but I hope you feel better soon.
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Executioner
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by Executioner »

I wish I was smarter when I was young and foolish. I never went to the dentist until I was 30. Not going into the details like cavities and having "deep cleaning, but I had problems ever since. I'm currently in a much better shape by brushing my teeth for 2 minutes using an electric tooth brush, and flossing after. I then rinse with a mouth wash. My last 2 checkup's have been great.
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reno
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by reno »

Executioner that a great report from your dentist.

today was a fun day (not ) we payed for yesterday /last night move . took the denture and lower plate out a couple of hours before bed. they started bugging me . big mistake the couple extra hours allow for the swelling of my gums to expand . I payed for it in pain today with my appliances inserted . I had been warned before time by the dentist it could happen . todays days meals were great . banana , and hard boil egg breakfast , lunch mac and cheese - dinner ya soup . that was all my gums and mouth could take . also today we have a lovely blue tint on my right and left cheeks !

on a side note did have a productive day -2 item we order arrived so we swap out a ceiling fan and review the new one . didn't seem like much but there was no light were we did it at. so under a portable spot light and the air being off at the home. also this being Florida it was a chore and it being 80 plus in the house. we did it in under 1 hour all wired in and remote hooked up. then assemble a new recliner from overstock that arrived right after we finished fan at the other house .this was simple and my home with air . help me forget about the discomfort I been feeling even with the happy pills we had to take all day. hell just looked at the out door temp right now as i'm writing this its still 83 outside at 12:30 am .
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by FlyingPenguin »

I neglected my teeth in my 20s. Learned to take better care of them in my 30s. Still have most of them, but all the back molars are wisdom teeth because the originals has to be pulled when I was young, and I have a lot of crowns.

I have one tooth missing - 2nd molar from the back, that was covered by a permanent bridge for 30 years, but the back tooth is not in great shape, and is kind of redundant because it has no mate on top (again, a wisdom tooth that took place of the original molar).

So now I'm looking at my first implant.
"Turns out I’m 'woke.' All along, I thought I was just compassionate, kind, and good at history. "

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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by Executioner »

LOL - I had to get an implant because I had a back molar removed that could not be saved. The top tooth will start to drop if you don't do anything about it, so I had to get an implant which was performed by my dentist. Once they map my mouth and create the template, they know exactly where to drill for the screw. After the screw was installed, I had to wait almost 3 months to make sure it was not rejected, and was properly supported by the jaw bone. I thought it was going to be painful, but it was actually not that bad, and I compared it to having my teeth cleaned. They actually use a small torque driver to screw it into your jaw bone.
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FlyingPenguin
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by FlyingPenguin »

Ya, I know it's straight forward, but the problem is I am a terrible patient. I do not like sitting still with a stranger touching me. I have learned to deal with it (I usually listen to an audiobook with the volume loud) but it's still very uncomfortable.

For this reason massages are no fun at all. Gave up on those. Even the barber. I just have zone out and try to ignore him, and my barber knows by now I don't want to talk, and I probably won't hear him with my earbuds in. Curiously I have no issue with my Chiropractor, but that usually only takes minutes.

Dentist is the worst. Just a cleaning is quite stressful, but I've gotten better, with the only obvious result being the death grip I maintain on the chair arms the whole time. :)

Any kind of serious dental work I need to prep with a little self hypnosis and make sure I have some engrossing listening material. I don't like to take any drugs, so that's not an option.

Add to that, I am an extreme salivator when things are poked in my mouth (my salivation skills are legendary at my dentist's office) and my tongue has a mind of it own, despite my best efforts, requiring the assistant to hold it in place the whole time - which of course makes me even more nervous and makes me salivate more.

I have the option of getting the implant with anesthesia, but I'm not keen on that.

Oh, I'll do it, and it probably won't be half as bad as I imagine, but it won't be any fun.

Ironically, I often tell my dentist that if he wore a head camera so I could watch what he's doing in real time, I'd probably enjoy the hell out of it. It's always fascinating when I watch him work on my Dad's teeth. Most of nerves come from that 'What's he doing now?" little voice in the back of my head. The engineer in me wants to know what's happening.
"Turns out I’m 'woke.' All along, I thought I was just compassionate, kind, and good at history. "

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reno
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by reno »

went back in today they needed to do some adjustments - ( use a Dremel and sand the plates in some areas ) asked for more happy pills that didn't happen. told just to just take 200 mg ibuprofen x 4 every over the counter . we used up all but one of the Happy pills they supply me with . first round they give me 800 mg ibuprofen and t-3 for pain . the first 5 days we used up them up . also used my stash from when we had are hand surgery so months back . by Sunday we were down to one t-3 left . today we still have that one t-3 was just trying to replenish my stash . truth is we also were using some Canadian pills with a small amount of codeine that avail there over the counter there ! im glad to have some Canadian neighbor that bring me down a bottle with 100 in it when they return in the fall . it last me all year plus ! so there helping take the edge off while we heal . told be 3 more weeks of eating soft foods and 3 month till we swap these temp .dentures out for real ones .
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Losbot
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

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I didn't go until I was about 16 and because of the pain, I had to have a root canal. The experience for me was dreadful so I never went back to the dentist, for about 30 years. I'd make sure to brush but that's not enough. I tried to go once about 15yrs after that root canal but like Penguin, I was about to rip the armrest out. The anxiety was too much. When the assistant walked away to get some more stuff, I got up from the chair before things got started, walking right out the door. Didn't answer their calls.

Finally after 30 yrs, I decided that I really needed to get over it or my teeth would be in bad shape as I got older. I found an amazing dentist, based on her 5 star rating (nobody gave her less than 5) and that she was "gentle". I explained everything and she basically wanted to go slow with me, to get me accustomed to being in the seat. Started with small things like checking my teeth and promised to not do anything invasive. Eventually, for my first deep cleaning, she gave me valium. It wasn't enough. The next trip, I doubled the dose. Then tripled. I ran out of pills and they didn't do anything to me. What helped was the repetitive trips and that she was gentle. I'd listen to music. That helped.

It's now been about 7yrs that I've been seeing her and I get 3 cleanings a year. The hygienist is amazing and I'm super comfortable in the seat. I don't particularly enjoy going but I'm no longer freaking TF out in the chair and I even had a root canal done that was quick and painless. 45 mins and they were done. I am very lucky, according to her, that despite not seeing a dentist for 30 yrs, my teeth were in a lot better shape that she expected. I apparently have very strong teeth and I originally had something like 5 tiny cavities that were easily filled. Just needed 1 root canal/crown and she cleaned up and re-did my original root canal.

I'm very pleased to have found her and her staff. She's also easy on the eyes. ;)
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reno
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by reno »

well its Friday and still have pain .the stitches are falling out. but still needing pain meds this is going to be a slow heal we can sure tell . the pain level lower but not great .still cheeks bruised. still on a soft food diet. had a hard bold egg for breakfast. lunch was pears and cottage cheese , dinner ya a fried 1/2 hamburger pattie and a packet of Knorr rice . had to break up the patty small not really chew it . sure going to be a long recovery :(
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reno
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by reno »

back to dentist tomorrow . still on a basic soft food diet. glad we like wonton soup . sure miss having a good burger or pizza one day we will again . not been out to eat in what seems like forever. tomorrow will be getting a cleaning of my 4 remaining lower teeth and realignment of my denture and partial . (some people are saying my healing taking longer and rougher do to the bone graft's ) if we had to do it again we would of done it upper then lower or reversed . not at the same time if it could be done that way. we know its still very uncomfortable and tired of bland soft foods .
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Losbot
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by Losbot »

Sorry to hear you're still dealing with that. Hope you heal up soon and can get back to enjoying food.
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reno
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Re: Dental - running battle my whole life

Post by reno »

feel like we graduated today we bought some cold cuts from publix's . there home made white mountain bread and was able to eat a sandwich for lunch. that was a large step forward till today. best we eat for a sandwich had been a grilled cheese. cooked with lots of butter to keep is semi soft.
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