Chompers

[Tammyzhere]

All those years of smoking

caused my gums to recede

about 1/8 inch above the enamel. 

So for the past 5-6 years 

I've been paying to have 

the tops of my teeth bonded.

It costs 185 per tooth and needs

to get touched up at least once 

per year and it still looks ugly.

So, I told the dentist I want a plate.

He said "NO-o-o-o-o-o Tammy, you 

won't like it"

So I pay 100 dollars for a consult

at a different dentist about a plate.

He said, NO-o-o-o-o-o, your roots are good.

You should cap canine to canine 

and get two bridges.... 16k for the tops.

And I'm thinkin---- I don't know anyone

who has all their teeth capped -- like 

I don't live in Hollywood.

So then my gf says, go see my dentist.

He will give you a quote on some veneers. 

So I made an appt for Monday, Dec 4th

There is another 100 consultation fee. 

With all the former smokers on here

there has to be someone else who 

completely messed up their teeth.

I Know I'm not the only one.... 

Anyone have any experience with this

that they'd care to share???

[Tammyzhere]

they don't use those winged xrays anymore

new thing is the 360 view xray - you stand up and the arm swings 

around your head and then they see all your roots and teeth at once

I'm kinda scared of getting so many teeth pulled all at once

but some are broken / loose so, the extraction shouldn't be too bad.

what to eat during that .... 

8 week toothless wait

mid feb is a really long time....

until I can get fitted for the partial

This first major production on the bottom is purely for functional. 

[Mandolinrain]

Panorex  ( one i was talking about) is not the wing. Panorex IS the one that goes around your head and shows all teeth. Panorex back then was 20 buck for a pack of 100 films

Wings and bites wings were called P A s...they rarely do these little ones anymore if at all

Soft foods, liquid diet right after surgery. no straws, no smoking

Smoking will dislodge blood clot forming where teeth are extracted

how this helps....

[elvan]

I had 12 extractions, I chose to have them all the same day.  The recovery was not bad at all and my teeth had broken off at or below the gum line so the extractions involved some digging to get to the roots.  I expected to be in a lot of pain but I wasn't.  I used ice packs to keep the swelling down and I was able to eat soft foods almost immediately.  My extractions were all in the back, I still have my front teeth on the top and on the bottom.  The partial dentures took forever to get...the clinic where I had the extractions does not have its own lab and it does not make the dentures.  There was supposedly some sort of issue getting the partials made...it wasn't about the payment because I had paid for them early on...I was paying through Care Credit so they had THEIR money.  It wasn't until I got seriously angry and threatened to report them that all of a sudden, the dentures were ready.  I had the extractions in May, they did not get the dentures until December.  I was frustrated, to say the least.  Then they insisted that I get the remaining teeth cleaned and have the panorex at a cost of $170 which had to be paid in advance.  They are the only "clinic" where I live.  I could have gone to Affordable Dentures but the one near me has terrible reviews and the hygienist at the clinic said that a large number of their patients are people who got their dentures from there and need them adjusted more than once.  To be perfectly honest, I don't leave mine in all of the time, I still have my front teeth so I can smile without looking toothless...the cost of caps is so high but if I had needed them, I would probably at least have tried. 

The recovery should not be terrible from the extractions.

Hugs,

Ellen

[Tammyzhere]

ok so - I'm getting 6 teeth pulled this Friday

they told me to have someone come get me

so I asked my son to drop off his gf to drive my car

so today, I find out - they are breaking up... WTF

She has had enough of his mouthy BS and is

moving back home to PA this weekend...   

SO now I'm having all kinda feelings about that

like... I don't think you should stay with someone

if they talk all crazy to you and aren't all in it - 

but, I really like her and we spend a lot of time together

so I'm sad    and mad (at him for being a douche)

and scared of being mostly toothless for 2 months 

and haven't heard of anyone who likes their partial

outta my element here  -  winging it  -   whatever 

[elvan]

I am not happy with my partials but I am happiER than I would be without them.  Honestly, I take them out to eat, for the most part...not in public but at home.  I have chewed up my cheek more than once putting the lower partial in...I don't know if anyone is seriously comfortable because I don't know who wears them and who doesn't.  Mine have metal clips and my daughter had a fit because she said the metal looked terrible...sorry.  I did ask the dentist about clear clips because I looked on line and they are available...my dentist said she had never heard of them.  I asked her if she wanted the link...she did not seem particularly interested, hahaha.  

As far as the girlfriend...I have had issues with my son's relationships in the past, I ADORED his high school girl friend and still stay in touch with her even though she is living in Spain.  I have found that we cannot control our kid's relationships and we really are not responsible for said relationships once they become adults.  It is not easy to let go of guilt.

I hope you can get to the dentist and get home, they didn't tell me that I needed a driver but my husband took me.  I didn't have any anesthesia other than local.

You will get through the extractions and the breakup smoke free and that's the most important thing on your "list" today.

Hugs,

Ellen

[JonesCarpeDiem]

I'm missing some teeth since I retired. Two in the back died during the severed foot recovery and I've had a few pulled since I moved back to Oceanside. I've just started a plan to save what I have as my dentist said most people are not happy with bottom dentures because they don't stay in place so I'm getting stainless steel crowns as a stopgap and hope they last awhile.

[Deb-EX]

Tammyzhere‌  - Oh boy, I could go on forever about my teeth, but bottom line is this - after MANY MANY years of doing exactly what you did - in the end I wound up spending over 20 thousand dollars to have ALL my teeth recapped, top and bottom at the same time. I am blessed to have been able to do this I know not everyone can, but I was like you, cap after cap - root canal after root canal (and all the fixes add up) all the colors were off and I was very unhappy! My dentist did an amazing job and this was a HUGE reason I quit smoking. I wasn't messing up my beautiful smile by further damaging my gums and having the caps shift. I wish you the best of luck, it's expensive so I feel for you, I really really do!! 

[Tammyzhere]

28 days no nicotine

6 teeth taken out

5 left on the bottom

2 weeks til Xmas

finally started shopping yesterday 

thinkin about getting all the uppers out

and getting that horseshoe they screw 

to your head as opposed to all the caps

[Deb-EX]

Oh MY!!! 

First CONGRATS on 28 days no nicotine!! I am so proud of you, geez under that kind of stress you really deserve a pat on the back for staying nicotine free! I won't ask how you're shopping with all that dental work being done, I'm hoping you mean shopping on AMAZON!! As to the horseshoe ... LOL LOL.  

[Tammyzhere]

Well I had to go to Walgreens to pick up a prescription 

so while I was there I bought the kids expensive cologne.

After that I went to Family Dollar Store and bought

the usual, random stocking stuffer crap: 

gloves, jammies, candles, candy, cookies