I have been blessed with poor teeth. As a child, I went to the dentist a lot. It wasn't unusual for me to have 6 or 8 filling at each yearly check-up. The dentist didn't give me a bad time about it. He just went ahead and filled them. My mother didn't give me a bad time about it. She just blamed it on genetics. I brushed my teeth in the morning and evening, but still had lots of problems.
As I became an adult, the fillings were removed and replaced with crowns. I had as much gold in my mouth as is in Fort Knox. Still, dentists didn't give me a hard time about it. They blamed my smoking.
About 25 years ago I gave up the smoking and started going to a periodontist. He gave me a hard time, trimmed my gums (not a pleasant experience at all!), and taught me some new techniques for keeping my teeth and gums healthy.
Up until the last year, everything was fine. Now I am starting to pay for my earlier abuses. That's what happens when you get old. Over the last year I have lost three molars from my upper jaw -- two on the right and one on the left side. Next week, I will get the second one on the left removed.
This is making chewing stuff more difficult. I have to chew with teeth closer to the front of my mouth. And I think I look kind of funny chewing. I also have a tendency to bite my tongue.
The next step may be implants. They are ungodly expensive, but I think I will prefer them to some sort of partial plate. Either that or I will have to eat my dinner through a straw.
For those of you out there that are young, take care of your teeth or they will bite you when you get old.
Take it from the voice of experience.
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((hugs)) Yike!!!
ReplyDeleteI was always brushing my teeth. Perfect teeth.
I fell almost 2 years ago on February 21st on Black ICE.. and have a bridge. They look REAL...but all the years of always brushing.. and only a few cavities my whole life.. and still fake teeth. lol.
Implants were 3,000 each I was told. I have a bridge and it was free under my ex-husband dental work plan that I was allowed to stay on. Also I was scared of implants. They are screwed on .. first they drill into you maxilla (upper) and/or mandible (lower) bones.
I heard it is painful for a quite some time. I'm afraid they could crack my jar bones to be honest. Scary.
But once done they are look great. I know someone her older friend got them all done... loong process but great results.
good luck (hugs) (I'm glad you quit smoking that long ago). Good for you.
I'm a little leery of implants. I tired to get on about 10 years ago but it didn't work. It was in my upper jaw. The dentist had to do a bone graft because the jaw wasn't thick enough to support the implant. The bone graft didn't work so the bone did not grow around the implant base. The dentist had to remove it. He did refund all my money right on the spot. He was very embarrassed about the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteThis time I am going to a new implant specialist. I will see what he has to say about it.
Dude, that sucks! I feel your pain. In 2008, I had about $25,000 worth of dental work done. Including braces for the second time, four root canals and 5 crowns. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteMiss Scorpio - Wow, that's one big chuck of change! You must have a gorgeous mouth now.
ReplyDelete