Omg teeth

[Hound dog]

It has been a long haul, to say the least. When the dentist started pulling my teeth in early October or the end of sept he expected me to have the dentures no later than mid december. It's what, early march? Not his fault by any means. I tried to explain to him that due to the kidney issues I tend to heal slower than your average person, often much slower. I don't think he quite understood that. Now he does, but not when this all started. Then of course I got that horrid virus that had me down for the count for a month or more on top of it.

For the past many weeks we've finally been doing the molds. The past like 5 we've been doing the wax molds. Dentist is a perfectionist, knows his stuff, and I'm certainly not going to argue as he's not charging extra for this part. Bit of a pain to go in every single week for a 10 -15 min appointment to see if they got the teeth lined up correctly, positioned correctly.........but after seeing them finally right this morning......sooooooo worth it.

He popped them in to see how they looked and husband blurted out OMG there is my wife. I decided to take it as a good thing.........instead of kicking him. lol Dentist was very pleased as he Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) type checked everything yet again. When he handed me the mirror I understood husband's reaction. I was like OMG I am ME again.

And even though dentist checked them out completely. He had me sit there with them in for like a half hour with this long checklist and a mirror of things I was to try and look for to make certain that I like them, they were comfy ect.
I get the real deal on tues. , < this will be my huge smile lol

I get to try them out for a few days then go back in to tell him what I think of them ect, see if anything needs to be fixed.

This guy is so unbelievably sweet and so tell you exactly like it is and make sure you understand......it's a pleasure to go in for an appointment, even if the travel to get there and back is a pain.

Once I get my new teeth on tues, I have to spent about a week learning to talk again. Guessing so I don't spit them out saying certain letters or whistle when I talk. lol And the next week learning to actually eat with them. This is normal. This depends on the person, but in other words you don't just stick them in and use them like your normal ones. Makes sense but not something I actually thought about before.

I'm so excited!

I told husband that I'm going to find someplace that actually will cut my hair in the style I'd like to have it in and I'm going shopping with Nichole on sat for a couple new outfits.

Woot I'm going to feel like a brand new person. Yay me!

 

[DammitJanet]

That is so great! That is on the list for Tony too. He so needs it badly. The place down here wants to just yank them and make the dentures in the same day and I am like...no way in hades! that cant be good.

 

[KTMom91]

Lisa, I'm so happy for you!

 

[Hound dog]

Janet everyone I know, including husband, who has done the same day denture thing.......has ended up with lots of problems with fit very shortly after. husband can't even wear his now without real problems even with the stuff you can buy to hold them into place. So most of the time he doesn't bother.

The issue is that over time the gums and bone tissue heal and shrink. It's a natural process. So stands to reason if you get them put in right away....that hasn't been allowed for and soon as that healing takes place the fit is not going to be there. So they have to be relined. Depending on the dentist.......that can get very expensive. Some will give you a couple of free times and others none. Mine even after all this process has lifetime free lining. And not to mention that process is down right painful as all get out. I know husband can be a big enormous baby but I know he was in a ton of pain having it done that way as he refused to eat other than liquids for weeks. (husband is like travis food is his world lol)

My dentist refuses to do the instant dentures due to the fit. He said a person with dentures made correctly should never require products to keep them in place in the mouth. It's why I chose him.

My grandma of course had it done the old way and she never once used something to hold her dentures in place and the woman ate anything she pleased. She had them for more than 30 yrs too. Same with mother in law until it came to the lowers.....because that dentist was in a hurry to get her lowers done (she'd had the uppers done years before) and they never fit right. Heck my step dad who raised me never had issues with his either.

So I tend to believe the old way is best even if you have to do without teeth for a while. Honestly I got used to it rather fast......and it didn't affect my appearance that drastically, even according to my kids who would bluntly tell me if it did. lol

All mom paid for was the pulling and the actual dentures. None of these extra zillion visits have cost her a dime.

I think I'm gonna get the girls in the office something nice when I go shopping this weekend. (only 2 of them and always funny and super nice) And bake him something that he can either hog to himself or take home and share with his family. lol

 

[Jena]

that's great!!! youll have to post a picture of your sparkly smile!!! its alot of work you went thru, good for you!

im in line at some point for either replacements or a bridge. when i had difficult child 12 years ago two back teeth fell out the molars i thought no big deal. than time passed and two more back teeth fell out when she was 3. so i have all my front teeth thank god yet missing all the back ontop not on bottom. no one can tell yet i literally never smile with my teeth which really suxd on my wedding day. i had a great smile years ago! maybe someday!!!

sooo happy for you

 

[DammitJanet]

I only have one tooth on top on both sides in the back and one on the back right and two on the back left. Unfortunately they dont line up on the right but one does line up on the left...lol. I can chew pretty well obviously. Im not sure how many teeth Tony has left right now but he has been getting them pulled out as they have been giving him real problems but at some point that has to end. Im not allowing the same day dentures even if he throws a temper tantrum. He thinks he wont be able to eat without teeth. I think he wont be able to eat with dentures that dont fit!

He has already thrown money away on his eyes...which I am so mad at him about I could spit nails. 200 bucks for dime store glasses! Ugh!

 

[Hound dog]

Well, to be honest those first couple of weeks can be a challenge to find things you can eat........I did a lot of eggs, creamed soups, mashed/baked potatoes and such. I lost a lot of weight. But eventually you get used to it and you can chew more things. I can do crock pot meat pretty well and my diet is much more filled out now. Still can't do things such as chips ect......but hasn't been too horrid living without them either. I will have to be careful not to over indulge once I can chew those things again though. lol

My mouth is getting all ready for steak and lobster........hehehehe. And then another night of seafood alfredo. husband owes me 2 dinners out. One for graduating. The other for graduating with honors.

Oddest thing I've found.......noodles of just about any sort can be a real pain when you'd think the opposite would be true. So I've pretty much stayed away from them.

 

[AnnieO]

Lisa, I've had so much work done on my teeth... Not dentures, not yet. But root canals and crowns and bridges and backfills and surgery - OH MY!

I have an awesome dentist, though... He was only a couple of years out of dentist school when we moved to Ohio in 1987, and he's been the man ever since. He's GREAT. So I understand about what a pain it can be. And how worth it. You never know how much you use your teeth til ya can't... Or how awesome tortilla chips and pickles and apples and steak and (SHHHHHHH don't tell Dr. M) caramel can be...

 

[susiestar]

I am having to start searching for a dentist. We have no money. Literally. There just are not many games and what little we had put back got used up when they messed up our food stamps and we didn't have them for 3 mos. husband refused to go take the paperwork in, our mail stinks if I have to let the carrier pick it up (if she gets two more complaints she get fired and she is union iwth a lot of years in so you know that there have been a TON of complaints about her) and husband refused to mail the forms from the post office. I couldn't drive because I was really dizzy for several months, so we just finally got them back. Now the little $ I put back to try to pay for a dentist for me is gone because the bills had to be paid.

The calcium deficiency is eating away at my teeth. I have giant gaps between them all where they have eroded. The top ones are not too bad but the bottom ones are scary. I look like a jack o lantern with the jaggedy teeth. Just this week they started aching, so at least they haven't hurt all this time. I have no idea how we will get dentures for me. We just got the medicaid paperwork for the kids done and somehow husband and I qualified too - which is AWESOME. It will cover prescriptions, which we need, and the tests I need (mammogram and thyroid and bone scan and calcium levels). I am really terrified of the bone scan. Bad as they hurt, well, I am just not thinking about it. I still have to juggle either taking calcium or not barfing. Cause if I take calcium in any form I puke. Including most foods. They warned me that as the bones lost minerals they would get more painful.

Anyway, I have to figure out how to get a dentist to do the dentures for free. Medicare will do emergency extractions but that is IT. At least they now cover orthodontics for kids. I am getting Jess evaluated as soon as we can.

ENJOY your shopping and eating out and wonderful NEW SMILE!!! I am so happy for you - I cannot think of anyone who has worked harder for these!!! All the stuff you did for your family over the years, plus school, plus everything else - you deserve that bright pretty smile!!!!

 

[Star*]

I am so happy for you I could just - SMILE!

GOOD FOR YOU about the makeover - YOU DESERVE IT -

 

[bigdmomof3]

Congratulations! I know it has been a long process but it so worth it in the end.

I got mine a little over 6yrs ago. Went through the whole fitting process which took months. Now here is the funny part...lol The entire time I was going through this I was in training for a new job.....a customer service rep in a call center. That's right I had to spend all day talking to people on the phone. I got my dentures on a Friday after my last day of training and had to be on the phones first thing Monday morning. The way I learned to talk without whistling is that I drove around in my car singing! The singing was fun and it helps you relax and forget all about them.

I still whistle occasionally when I talk now but it is usually near the end of the day when I am tired. It gives my daughter a good laugh and then of course she has to imitate what I said and we just end up rolling in laughter.

Now here is a word of warning. When you sneeze make sure you cover your mouth. The first time I sneezed the force of the sneeze made my teeth fly right out of my mouth. To this day, if my kids see that I have a sneeze coming on, they duck..,.lol. It really was funny but it is no longer a problem...lol.

The most amazing change for me was the confidence that came back with my smile. Learning to eat and talk will be easy. You will be surprised just how fast things go. Not a day goes by now that I dont smile.

Enjoy and good luck with everything.

Denise

 

[AnnieO]

Susie - somewhere in the medicaid packet is info on dentures. I will see what I can find. Unless somehow it's different in OK... Sigh... I know there's some way.

 

[Lothlorien]

I can't imagine going months without teeth. I can certainly understand why, regarding the healing of the inflammation and gums, but surely they can give you temporary teeth, no? I never really thought about it.

 

[cubsgirl]

Congratulations - it must feel awesome to have a wide smile

 

[Shari]

Congrats, Hound. I know this is something you've wanted for years, and you've invested these past several months to doing it right...I'm so happy for you!