Go Brush Your Teeth!

[sheepdog 10]

Seriously. Take care of them while you still can.I have just had a couple of really bad weeks, and it still isn't over yet. I guess it won't be for a long time yet. Couple weeks ago I got a really bad toothache. It was in my last top tooth on the left side, top of my mouth. It was the only tooth I had left on top to chew with, all the others besides my front teeth had already bit the dust. I tried all the usual home remedies, chewing tobacco, (draws out the infection) wiskey, (kills the pain) nothing seemed to help much at all. I even resorted to orajel type products, they wouldn't even touch it. After about 3 days of fooling around with it I decided I better start some antibiotics. I hate to take them if I don't have to but this was beginning to get on my nerves. Now normally after just 24 hours or so after starting antibiotics I get some relief, but not this time, not even a little bit. I gave it 3 days and still my tooth was hurting like hell, and a couple of my bottom teeth started hurting too, though it was hard to tell for sure, when one tooth hurts it seems like it just radiates threw your entire mouth and after awhile it's hard to tell for sure just where the pain is coming from. Sunday night I packed a bag and informed my better half that we were heading for Mexico. We got out of here tuesday morning, amazingly enough, I think that was the fastest we ever decided to leave on a planned trip. We drove straight threw to my Sister in laws place in southern California. She only lives about 1 1/2 hours from Algadones Mexico. Took us just over 27 hours. I had actually emailed and recieved a message back from my dentist down there and had an apointment for Thursday morning. So at least we had a little time to rest before heading south of the border. First day wasn't so bad, he just made impressions, but friday was awful. All my top teeth had to go, even the front ones, which were not bad or anything, just needed them out of the way. Despite the novicane, it still hurt like hell. (when you have abcesses, novicane doens't work very well.) He had my new teeth ready from the impression the day before and popped them in before the bleeding ever stopped. Told me not to take them out for 24 hours. I have to say that was about the most miserable 24 hours I've ever had. It just hurt like hell, I couldn't get my mouth rinced out very good had that nasty bloody taste in it, my lips and face was numb for hours, couldn't close my mouth enough to even smoke a ciggerette, which was really frustrating, couldn't eat anything that needed any chewing whatsoever, but at least the removal of the teeth ended the cold sensitivity I'd had, so all I had to eat was a pint of ice cream. That was about all I could get down. I had to make one more trip back on saterday, when I had some feeling back so he could adjust the dentures. It helped a little but not much. Oh dear, I hate these things! I look like Bucky Beaver! I now have a terrible overbite. He said he couldn't do much of anything with it without going in and cutting down my bones. But they would line up ok when I get the bottom teeth pulled and get the bottom dentures. I'm not convinced of that. He did tell me that these are temporary, that I can get a new set made in a few months when all the swelling is gone and things have settled down. I'm not sure that is even going to help. This has been a real mess. I can't bite anything off, and chewing is difficult to say the least. I keep biting the insides of my lips, so my mouth is still hurting all the time and the dentures were hitting on or causing some sores at the very top of the gum line. I managed to cut them down a little and got one spot fixed. But I still can't chew all that well, nor close my mouth when I have them on. I swore I was going to wear them and not end up looking like a toothless old hag, but they just hurt too damn bad. I am hoping when my gums finally heal up I can get some denture adhesive to keep them in place so I will be at least able to eat properly, right now I'm limited to vienna sausages, scrambled eggs, and canned peaches. So, as I said in the beging of this rambling, go brush your teeth!

[sheepdog 10]

Well, this has been about the most miserable month I've had in a long time. My mouth never feels "right" always feeling constant uncomfortable feeling, with or without teeth. I almost completely gave up wearing the teeth. There was one spot up high at the top of my gum line that just would not heal and was extremely painful. Finally, a few days ago when I ran my tongue over it I felt something scratch my tongue. Bad as it hurt, I raked a fingernail over the spot, and actually drug out a thin sliver of bone, nearly a quarter of an inch long! Amazingly enough, the relief was instant! No more severe pain, just a slight bit of tenderness, which has since completely gone. I felt like an old grizzly bear that someone got braze enough to pull a thorn out of it's paw!

 

So now it's back to wearing, or at least trying to wear them again. Have to use the adhesive now, since my gums are no longer swollen. I tried it for the first time last night, eating went well, but OMG when I took them back out what a mess! Yuck! That pesky glue was all over the roof of my mouth and I couldn't get it off. Tried toothpaste, even rubbing alchol, only succeded in making the roof of my mouth raw. At least I thinned it down enough to where I could stand it. I'll try again tonight, steaks are on the grill, but this time I'm going to just ut the glue on my gums and skip the line in the roof of my mouth like the instructions say to do. Hopefully they will hold good enough that I can eat.

 

As if I wasn't miserable enough, I couldn't sleep last night, was tired but the brain was kicking into overdriveand I was just achy and miserable. I had a slight cough so got up about 1 am and thought I'd take some cough medicine. When that stuff hit the back of my throat, it felt like fire! I started coughing and coughing and could not stop. I coughed until I threw up, still kept coughing. Tried drinking water, aloe vera, then some honey and cinnamon. Nothing would stop that annoying tickle in the back of my throat that would start me coughing. My throat is still sore today, I can hardly talk without stoping to cough. I sure hope I can sleep tonight!

[velma 6]

I remember 15 years ago escorting my Aunt when she was to get her dentures.... She was terrified so I went along with her.. i went as far as getting my mouth's impression done... It is so weird a process :/

 

And like you, she had to have all her teeth removed.... Me and my Aunt share the same dislike of dentists, we are capable of getting stitches without anesthesia YET we hate the teeth cleaning process... The sounds, the smells , the taste, the after effects.. bleh

 

And to sit there watching my Aunt get all her teeth removed, I think I went home and almost brushed my teeth away Up to this day, I try all I can to keep my teeth from disappearing.

 

Your story is giving me nightmares because bad teeth is a tradition in my family, hopefully you can get some sleep, my Aunt used to use some sort of cream on her gums initially, has your doctor prescribed anything?

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Situations like this suck, and the worst part is that there are diseases you can't protect from that will cause tooth decay as well. I know of people who brush/floss after anything goes in their mouth but water, yet still have had to have all their teeth pulled. And others that never brush and have no problems.

 

That's not to say it's not worth still taking care of them, just that you may still come up with problems, .

[sheepdog 10]

Sorry about spreading my nightmare Velma! But it sure has been one. And sadly, no way to wake up from it. When I get up in the morning I still won't have any teeth.

I actually got some prescription mouth wash several years ago. I probably would not of kept my real teeth as long as I did if I hadn't had it. Bexident I believe it's called, though that is the Spanish version of the product. Not sure what the English version is called. I suppose there are a few down sides to getting medications in a foriegn country, like not being able to read the directions for the proper dosage or frequency to take it or what the actual name of it is either. Oh well, at least the price is right. I used to have a Mexican girl that worked for me that could translate for me, she's not with me anymore, sadly.

Gads you must be tough to get stitches with anesthesia!!!! I am a whimp in that department. Real low pain threshold. No way I could get stitches with out anesthesia. I had a tooth last year that was just about ready to fall out and I couldn't bring myself to finish pulling it.

 

Sadly, rpgsearcherz you are very correct. In some cases no matter how well you take care of your teeth some people are going to loose them anyway. Not only disease but just plain faulty genetics all play a part in how long we get to keep our own choppers. I managed to keep mine longer than a lot of people do, that's for sure. Just wish I could of hung on to them a lot longer. Like till I died.

 

Man, eating has become a real nightmare too. And that is what is really killing me, as eating is one of my favorite pastimes. Turned out that steak was tougher than a pine knot, and a few nights later we even tried some pork shoulder steak, which is nearly always very tender, and even that package turned out to be so tough I could hardly eat it.

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Man, eating has become a real nightmare too. And that is what is really killing me, as eating is one of my favorite pastimes. Turned out that steak was tougher than a pine knot, and a few nights later we even tried some pork shoulder steak, which is nearly always very tender, and even that package turned out to be so tough I could hardly eat it.

 

This is probably the scariest part of it all to me... knowing that at some point I'll likely be forced to change eating habits and no longer be able to enjoy things I do now. Not to mention the whole teeth removal after eating and such.

[sheepdog 10]

Yes, it is the worst part. Without a doubt. Hubby has been warning me for several years now, about how I wouldn't be doing that after I lost my teeth. His favorite time to remind me of that was over cheese curls, I always liked the hard crunchy ones, and he likes the soft ones that sort of melt in your mouth. And yes, now I am eating the soft ones. Last night I fried up some bacon with our potatoes and much as I love it I couldn't chew the little bacon pieces.

 

Another interesting thing has presented it'self during this ordeal. Anyone familiar with the condition called phantom limb pain? It's a condition where you actually feel pains in a body part like an arm or leg that you don't even have. Your brain tells you the limb is still there and you feel pain in that missing limb just like you still had it. I'd never heard of it until I meet a new friend that had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. He had a terrible time with this condition. He even tried a study course on pain management and quite a few other things to alleviate his problem, but nothing really worked.

Anyway, as strange as it may sound, I have had at least some experience in this condition. I keep having this strange feeling that I have something stuck in my top teeth. It's a feeling I know very well, as I always had plenty big enough gaps between my teeth so that every time I took a bite of anything at all I would get stuff stuck between my teeth, and it always bugged me. Not painful of course, like actual phantom limb pain, just annoying. I never went anywhere with out toothpicks. Even had a little toothpick holder I kept in my purse. Well, now it seems like every time I try to eat something, right afterwards I feel like there is something stuck in my top teeth, which of course, are no longer there. I can't count the number of times already in the last month I have reached for a toothpick only to remember there is nothing there for anything to stick in. Honestly, I feel kinda dumb but I really do feel something there. Strange eh?

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Yes, it is the worst part. Without a doubt. Hubby has been warning me for several years now, about how I wouldn't be doing that after I lost my teeth. His favorite time to remind me of that was over cheese curls, I always liked the hard crunchy ones, and he likes the soft ones that sort of melt in your mouth. And yes, now I am eating the soft ones. Last night I fried up some bacon with our potatoes and much as I love it I couldn't chew the little bacon pieces.

 

Another interesting thing has presented it'self during this ordeal. Anyone familiar with the condition called phantom limb pain? It's a condition where you actually feel pains in a body part like an arm or leg that you don't even have. Your brain tells you the limb is still there and you feel pain in that missing limb just like you still had it. I'd never heard of it until I meet a new friend that had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. He had a terrible time with this condition. He even tried a study course on pain management and quite a few other things to alleviate his problem, but nothing really worked.

Anyway, as strange as it may sound, I have had at least some experience in this condition. I keep having this strange feeling that I have something stuck in my top teeth. It's a feeling I know very well, as I always had plenty big enough gaps between my teeth so that every time I took a bite of anything at all I would get stuff stuck between my teeth, and it always bugged me. Not painful of course, like actual phantom limb pain, just annoying. I never went anywhere with out toothpicks. Even had a little toothpick holder I kept in my purse. Well, now it seems like every time I try to eat something, right afterwards I feel like there is something stuck in my top teeth, which of course, are no longer there. I can't count the number of times already in the last month I have reached for a toothpick only to remember there is nothing there for anything to stick in. Honestly, I feel kinda dumb but I really do feel something there. Strange eh?

 

It's not really that strange when you're somewhat used to something and all of a sudden it changes. Really it applies to anything, too, whether it be a schedule you're used to (for work, school, etc.) or something you just do everyday, like eat eggs and bacon and then being put on a diet where you can't have either.

[sheepdog 10]

I don't know, it seems pretty strange to me to feel something that is not even there!

 

I do have a new favorite food now though. Always really liked it anyway, but now my favorite food is ice cream! Chocolate of course. It's about the only food left that I actually enjoy eating. Sadly, I made the mistake last night of looking at the calorie content. Oh well, I'm still going to eat it.

[velma 6]

The funny thing about teeth is that you can lose them because you have bad genes in your family , you forget to take care of them, you take care of them too well (too much hygiene can also ruin your teeth) OR you take every chance you get in having them knocked out.

 

As a kid, I had a few kids fall on me, the front tooth chipped and a new one grew from underneath it, the two front teeth are now permanently crooked, not too bad but pretty noticeable. While in a fight with a fellow child, I almost had my teeth ripped out.. I was biting him and he yanked his arm away... While running with my dog in the yard, I slammed against a wooden plank...

 

I look back and thank my teeth for not leaving me. As for the stitches bit, yeah, I can take them without anesthesia as long as the doctor allows it.. One of the patients in the clinic, a really bad mannered dog bit my hand, the dorsal side (top of your hand) had 3 holes in them... And we continued treatment, My colleagues thought I was made of nails & bricks until we went in for a routine dental check up..

 

I made a huge fuss going in and getting my teeth cleaned, I was happy to leave that chair...

 

ICE CREAM!!! I love Ice Cream, I remember being rewarded very handsomely by my Aunt... After her new teeth were fitted in, she always had ice cream in her refrigerator, and every time I'd visit her, she'd give me at least 2... We'd sit in her patio reading ice cream reading books.

 

One of the older gentleman in my family had an incident during dinner.. His dentures fell into his plate as the waiter was picking it up.. I was really young and was told by my mother that eating junk food always results in your teeth falling out... It did not help that my uncle told me that they were his "REAL" teeth.. I was scared of eating junk food for days before my uncle explained how dentures worked...

[sheepdog 10]

ROTFLMAO.....That's great, what a good way to convince children not to eat junk food. Thanks for the laugh!

On a less humerous note, one of the few things hubby and I do together is eat out. Since I have had my teeth pulled, I have not had the nerve to go out and eat in public. Basicly because something like what happened to your uncle would probably happen to me, and partly because chewing is so difficult and I can't close my mouth all the way, nor can I reach around with my tongue to get all the food away from the inner part of my lips, making me a real slob at the dinner table. I'm considering finally breaking my restaurant boycott and go tonight. Friday night used to be crab leg night at our local Chinese restuarant, and I sure do miss those! If I get the never up I'll come back and let you all know how that went.

[velma 6]

So, did you ever go out and try your new chompers at a restaurant?

[sheepdog 10]

Yes, I finally got brave enough to try it. We went early and got a table in the back corner so I wasn't facing anyone in case things got ugly. I did ok. It still drives me crazy because they are so big in my mouth I can't reach around with my tongue to get the food on the outside of my teeth. I can't seem to get the hang of the adhesive either, not enough and they don't stay in place, and usually slip in mid chomp causing considerable pain in my gums and sores, or I get too much and that nasty stuff gags me. First time I used it I nearly got the inside of my mouth raw trying to wash/scrape/disolve that disgusting gunk. Nothing I found would disolve that stuff. It is seriously gross.

 

On a lighter note. I fixed some corn on the cob last night. Hubby said almost nobody could eat that with dentures, but while it wasn't pretty, I did manage to chew it off the cob!