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33 with full denture. The Start of my Journey

W

WhiteSmilesInCincy

Junior member
Joined
Jul 12, 2010
Messages
9
Dear all,

My name is Michael. I am a RAD activist here in Cincinnati, Ohio. To make a very long story short, I neglected my teeth over the years. Not because I wanted to, but simply because I didn't care. I have alot of "psych and social" issues. I let my teeth get from bad to worse over a long time span. I am a recovering alcoholic and a soda addict. Combine all of those with the fear of a dentist, and you get the mess I am now in.

Dentists for a year or two have told me all my teeth would have to come out. I would constantly get infections and slowly got myself addicted to painkillers simply because of the constant pain I was in. My teeth were so terrible in fact, I didn't smile for almost 10 years. In every picture of me, I was always frowning or had my mouth closed.

I constantly had terrible infection breath :shame: and my teeth would literally split into peices as I was chewing food, or when I woke up in the morning I would find a hunk of enamel in my mouth.

After an initial consult with a local dentist, I was told that to restore the last 22 of my teeth would cost between 35 and 45 grand and still would need partials, I was shattered. The last shred of any kind of dignity I had was gone. The only time I would leave my house was for doctors or hospital visits. I didn't have the money to spend and the teeth that could be saved may not have actually survived more than a few years.

The total bill for all of the dentist visits over the past year have been in the thousands. "Take them all out" they said. Considering the fact that my particular pyschological "situation" has alot of variables, I am prone to severe depression. What kind of freak would I be. A big one in my mind.

What would my girlfriend think. How could she ever look at me again?? How in the hell could I do anything or see anyone knowing that I am a freak of nature, and what's worse, it's all my fault.

That's right folks, I blame myself. There is no one else to blame for this mess but me. That however, brings me no reprieve from my morose state of mind.

I made my appt with the denture (Why can't they just call them teeth for God's sake) place. I got a 600 dollar denture (Care of my family, thank you guys). I was so embarrassed. Nothing but really old people were in there. I was the only young person there. I felt horrible. Actually, beyond horrible. I was praying a plane would crash into the building. I didn't want to be seen there, I didn't want to open my mouth for anyone and I didn't want to be there.

But, I had no choice I suppose.

I will not bludgeon you with details that you already know. The doctor was nice. To me, my teeth, my life and my rule for being there was an epic failure. He made me feel comfortable. I stuck my hand out and shook his hand. He smiled, I smiled and that was that. He looked in my mouth and said what every other doctor said. "Take them all out". Thank you, professor.

Time for the molds. WEEE was that ever horrible. I had two shattered teeth in the back with nerves exposed. I was afraid of that sticky mold crap pulling those teeth out. This guy wasn't exactly soft with his hands, either. After he gagged me with that mold crap a few times he pulled that ice cold mold out. It was all over from that point. The very nice receptionist (I think she was checking me out, kinda weird) said "We will see you tommorow." She was very cheerful and receptive. It made my day. Sometimes, feeling like you aren't the only freak on the planet gives you a sense of calm and clarity.

Well, let's skip forward to the actual extraction. Considering my giant fear of needles. (I go into fight or flight mode) I was hesitant let the doctor stick a needle into my arm. After a bad experience with an extraction, I never, ever, EVER had a tooth pulled without being knocked out.

The needle went in, and out I went, into lala land. I gotta say, it was kinda fun. I always got giggly when that funny ass feeling came over you right before you get knocked out.

I woke up in the reclined position. He jammed my new teeth into my mouth and did some adjusting. The doctor was saying something, but I didn't really give a damn. A nuclear bomb could have gone off outside the office and I still wouldn't have cared.

I just kind of sat that there with a stupid smile on my face. That was until I got into my dad's minivan. Dark, arterial blood went everywhere. My clothes, his dashboard, the floor, the seatbelts. I cannot tell you how much blood I swallowed on the trip home.

I was still pretty smacked on the drive home I was just starin at clouds, bleeding like a stuck pig. My dad said "Mike stop bleeding on the car!!" Like I wanted to be bleeding. Nope, would have rather have been fishin'. :giggle:

We got to my parents house so I could sleep off the drugs. of course, I bled all over everything and my dad was prepared. He put plastic bags all over the couch. I said "Mike OUT" and fell asleep. I woke up to these bulky ass teeth in my mouth. My entire mouth was screaming with terrible pain: In fact the worst pain of my life. I popped a view vicodins, waiting for them to kick in.

I thought the depression couldn't get worse? It could and it did. I stumbled into the bathroom and looked myself. My teeth were gone, I was freezing and I was covered in blood. I finally decided to head home after my the drugs wore off. My girlfriend drove.

For the next few days I ate almost nothing. The pain was so blinding and constant getting anything solid down was impossible. I felt like an infant. My girlfriend would (And still does) have to mash my food sometimes into a paste to get it down. Good God, why me.

A week after the extraction (today) I am still eating nothing but applesauce, fish, ice cream, pudding, and soup. The new uppers and lowers are bumping into all kinds of extraction sites making eating almost impossible. There is one place on my upper jaw that is so sensitive, that getting the uppers into place brings me to my proverbial knees in pain.

I am drooling constantly, trying my best not to swallow excess saliva, which is hard, but I am also learing how to spit with my new teeth with no adhesive at all!!! :jump: I am spitting every 5 minutes or so. That's really pissing me off.

Day 5: Readjust teeth for the first time. The same doctor that made my teeth saw me again. As always I shook his hand he asked me how I was. I said:

" I am literally in hell ". He laughed. Fucker.

"Yea, that's bound to happen with new dentures."

Call em teeth doc.

Without warning he yanked my teeth out and that same raw spot opened up. Blood and spit and those nasty mouth scabby things went all over me. I yelped in terrible pain. The nurse grabbed a quick napkin and I was able to catch the rest of the spit and blood. After some quick grindings and adjustments (With some of those cushion things) he placed them back in my mouth, carefully.

Thank you doc. ;D

"Feel better?" "Hell yes, they felt better. I can actually place a bit of biting pressure on the back teeth and my teeth line up: For the first time in my life!!!

So here I sit. A toothless freak. When my girlfriend came home today she told me something that I think is telling. She said:

"You know what I like about your new teeth??? You smile." That one hit home. I have smiled in almost 10-15 years because of bad teeth.

Of course I am learning how to talk without a slur. It feels like I have a pair of mouthgaurds in my mouth right now. I have to spit again (Really)...

The depression still gets really bad at night for me when I take my teeth out. I cover my mouth when I speak to my girlfriend or not at all and she never see's me put my new teeth in or out. These are my rules. For right now.

Tonight. I am going to be bold. I am going to try a bananna and see if I can chew that. Of course I will have someone here just in case I choke, but I have been reading up on these forums. I will start slow and take small bites.

On Wed I have my stitches out. Tonight or tommorow morning I will let you guys know how the chewing went.

If there is anyone that wants to chat with me about their experiences and I might be able to help them with their journey, feel free to PM me. The more people talking about this taboo subject I think bring more support to the younger crowd that are facing this very life changing decision.:grouphug:

With lots of Love,
Michael
RAD-ONLINE.org
 
wow same boat for me 34 though i will make my journal l8tr tonight k:hidesbehindsofa:
 
Looking forward to it! I will be posting day six later tonight!

Much love!
Michael:)
 
Hi Michael, I can relate to what you say about them feeling like mouthguards in your mouth(not that I've ever worn any:giggle:)With this spell of really hot weather we have had here in Southern UK just recently at times my mouth just felt too full:censored:. I didn't really have the excessive saliva thing but then I didn't have immediates, I had to go 11 weeks with no teeth whilst my gums healed (more :censored: :giggle:) I too suffer with depression, I have been really down at times, not having them in is the worse, I hate the way my mouth just seems to cave in and I'm not a vain person.I worry about what impression my kids will have of me, I worry that they too will become phobic but I'll do everything I can to try and ensure they don't.I can't think this is it now for me regarding my teeth as that really is too depressing so yeah, I can get where you are coming from.I have a lot of anger towards myself for not being able to face this sooner but also weirdly a lot of respect for actually going through with it, knowing how paralysed with fear I was but for me I think I just got to that point of no return that many of us so sadly seem to get too you know, I tipped over and there was no going back.

:welcome:to this forum, they are a great bunch on here.
 
Thank you for the warm welcome everyone! Some interesting happenings on the homefront, will report in tonight.

Much love,
Michael :meanie:
 
Hi Michael,
Congratulations on coming through your journey, and now that you can - make sure you keep smiling! ;D

Just one question .... you said ....
The depression still gets really bad at night for me when I take my teeth out. I cover my mouth when I speak to my girlfriend or not at all and she never see's me put my new teeth in or out.

I might have misunderstood, but are you taking them out to sleep? Just in case you are, it really isn't necessary. As long as you remove them and clean them twice a day (which you can, of course, do in the privacy of your bathroom) you can sleep perfectly well with them in ... and your romantic life will no doubt be better for it, lol - you can whisper sweet nothings to her even WITH the light on!
:-*
 
Hello Michael! :welcome:
I just had all my teeth extracted and got immediate upper and lower dentures July 7th. I share your issue with the excess saliva. That's what bothers me the most..especially if I talk too much. I've found ALWAYS having a cold drink handy and taking a small sip when the saliva starts flowing REALLY helps. :)
 
Hi Michael, congratulations on your new teeth!

I know you're not thrilled - to say the least - about having dentures... and nobody WANTS to wear dentures (I don't think??) but it's better than having a mouth full of broken, painful, foul-smelling and tasting rot, right? Now you can smile! How cool is that?!

You know, in time, if you're still not happy with dentures, maybe your situation will change and you can get implants. You're still young with a lot of years ahead of you so look at these dentures as a solution for NOW and not necessarily forever.

:hug2:
 
Dear Everyone,

Thank you so much for your compliments and your words. I have a HUGE update tonight with a bunch of happenings and updates. I haven't posted because I have been very quiet, kinda depressed about this whole thing, and just alot is going on, as you all can probably imagine!

Once again, thanks so much for welcoming me to this warm group. Hopefully this post will make everyone chuckle a bit at my personal expense. :)

Much love,
Michael :cheers:
 
Day Number 6: This day SUCKED!!!! A bunch of different things started to happen.

+ I started a round of antibiotics, but it was too late...An infection already started in my sinuses. (I get frequent sinus infections) I have had post nasal drip for 2 days and this infection is just disgusting.

Every time I spit, horrible, brown mucusy stuff accompanies the usual salive laced blood from the operation. I am still getting sporatic shooting pains in two different places. I was seriously considering going back to the doctor and inquiring into a torn wall between the sinus and the root of one of my teeth. With some research, I have found that the chances for this are comparitely small.

Also, I have started chewing very BASIC FOODS. Banna's and eggs. The occasional cake roll. I am having limited success with this as the pain from my gums is still really nasty.

Thank God, I am not running a fever. I am still able to move around and do things.

I have lost considerable weight (I am already skinny as a rail) that I cannot afford to lose. Trying to increase my weight with protein shakes and eggs. I understand that this is normal, so I am gonna pair it down to having to learn how to eat all over again. :mad: Damnit. As per usual, I am consuming as many different "pastes" as I can to keep my weight up and my spirits high.

Day Number 7

I was pretty sure I was over the worst. Nope not even close. A peice of food was lodged in the blood clot between jawbone and the suture. Now, a big hunk of food is now putrefying (Wet rotting) in my mouth.

It literally tastes like I have a dead animal (Which in a way is what is happening) in my mouth. People actually say that they can SMELL my breath. Thats how digusting it is. These saline rinses that I am doing religiously isn't dislodging the putrefying food from extraction site.

I can tell you this: It's kind of a mix of a dead animal and a tinge of metal anoxidizing in your mouth. This really pungent, disgusting odor and taste that is beginning to drive me nuts. Literally. I just want it gone.

The antibiotics are not kicking in yet, as my saliva is tinged even more with this rusty brown looking crap. It has to nasal drip or pus from an infected extraction site. I spit on a white plate and took some pictures. Trust me, you don't want to see them. Even my DOGS didn't want to see that plate.

I washed it. :p

I am still not using adhesives for my new teeth because I want to do it the hard way first. The way I see it, if I do the hard stuff now, 6 months from now I won't be as dire straights as I am now. Food now has a plastic taste to it, so that kind of cuts down the fun.

Still eating pastes, fish and ALOT of oatmeal. I swear that stuff is a lifesaver in the field (I am a survival instructor) and in the home. Filling and it gives you a huge boost in energy and tummy expansion. Add some butter and sugar and you (Or me) are good for an entire morning.


I drank my first cup of coffee in 7 days. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Let me tell you fellows man did I MISS THAT SHIT! My whole, toothless ugly mouth was having an orgasm of flavor and caffeine induced delight.:cheers:

Quick update: Antibiotics I have learned mess with SSRI medications would explain WHY I am having horrible depression. Good lord is this bad. I had to call my pysch doctor and she explained that antibiotics intefere with my everyday "Keep mike calm" pills. Lovely. Her advice: If you are feeling dangerous, go to the hospital.

Just like I always say: "Thank you professor." :ROFLMAO:

The smell and the taste is getting worse. If it gets any worse, I am going to have to play home dentist. Too bad they don't sell those. You know what? I am going to make the following:

"Goodnight Michael home dental kit" (Patent pending)

Day 8

Ok I cannot stand this anymore. Now I am constantly drooling or spitting dark brown material and the putrefication is even worse now: It's intolerable. Time to get out my survival kit.

As per my training I set up my own picking rig. Taking out a small reflective device from my kit and other essentionals I designed my own set of snippers, caliper like device and a straight pick. I took the mirror a flashlight and my straight pick and opened my mouth:

Everywhere I looked there was a gray, waxy substance covering both the stitches and the top of 4 extraction sites. This substance is known as "sloughing" and part of the putrefaction process. I wanted to puke. The saline rinses weren't strong enough to kill the bacteria from the wet rot that was in my mouth.

I resounded only a few words at the top of my stinking breath.

OHHHHHHHHHHH SHITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

I think our neighbors for three floors heard the exclamation.

Slowly I took the pick and began scraping this grey decomp off my swollen, sore gums. Each scrape of that pick only pulled some slough off, but each scrape was literal hell. As more and more of this nasty smelling hunk of goo was pulled from my gum, pain ran down the side of my jaw into my neck. :o

The sutures were coming loose, so I could freely pull them from side to side. Of course, if I tugged too hard, shooting pain would come from that particular area so I had to be careful. Well low and behold, I found where the hunk of food was hiding. The entire extraction site was bright red. No doubt about it now.

I tried my best to pull the suture knot from side to side and dig as much of the slough as I could, but that sent waves of pain all over the beach of my body. The food (Or whatever it was) was too far in to reach and even if I could reach it, it wasn't going to make it to the surface without that knot gone. I would have to wait.

After pulling all the slough that I could out of my mouth I did a survival strength wash of saltwater in my mouth spit and repeated.

Tried to chew a bananna today with new teeth and that was an excerise. After 20 minutes of trying to chew, I said screw it, took my teeth out and mashed it down. I was too hungry to conduct plastic teeth trial runs today.

Another cheery note: The antibiotics I am on are causing another great side effect: The runs.

Man if I was having anymore fun I wouldn't be able to contain my joy at this entire procedure. If I am not in the bathroom I am pyschotically rinsing my mouth every 5 minutes to keep the stank away from my nose.

Day 8

The oral surgeon told me that the stitches being pulled was going to feel a little "Funny".

To that I reply: If your going to use a word so vague as "Funny" to describe the equivalent of pulling thin rope through holes you made in my gums that are now infected, painful and pitiful with wet rot at least give me a hug or something. Perhaps a cookie?

No, no, how about giant slice of HANG ON MAN HERE WE GO Mike!

Each snip and pull (And there were ALOT OF THEM) was another chair leather pulling amount of self torture their is. I was in so much pain and fear at one point I could not stop shaking. The surgeon said "Relax, snip, Relax Pull". Screw you, your not the one sitting here.

Finally, he found the extraction site with the rotted food or blood. This stitch wasn't coming out. With each tug I closed my eyes harder and imagined I was in the woods. Perhaps with a beer, or better yet a campfire and a beer with an MRE. Anywhere but there.

Read past this part if you have a weak stomach. Then again, if your still reading your like me, you see a car accident and you just have to take pictures for some unknown reason.

!----Puke warning----! !----Puke warning----! !----Puke warning----!

The surgeon really yanked hard which hurt like hell. That's all I can say.
It hurt so much I didn't have time to punch him before a giant ball of grey brown material actually popped out of my jaw and onto my neck. The surgeon exlaimed "Wow look at that, looks like you had some food lodge in there". My reply

"Thanks proffessor!

I kid you not, that entire room stunk because of this tiny little hunk of rotting food. I couldn't escape that rancid, horrid smell. And then the taste came. The strongest possible, most stomach churning, puke a thon having, rancid liquid ran down the back of my throat.

I was going to puke. I swallowed hard. The surgeon opened my mouth (Without asking of course) and placed some gauze in the area where now a good amount of blood was beginning to flow. I wanted to get out of that room, cause frankly the stink was just too much.

!----Puke warning----! !----Puke warning----! !----Puke warning----!

Once that happy little event happened the rancid taste was gone, THANK GOD. That was the source of three days of stink and hell. It's gone now and I am happy. I would have preferred to stay home and snip those stitches myself but the doctor insisted on doing it.

Needless to say I am sore now worse than ever because the gums have now split into two peices and they are sore all over again :cry:. (That's the only pitiful face I could find) I'm not crying. :ROFLMAO:


Day 9

I traveled out into the world today. I went fishing in 97 degree heat in the river and enjoyed the hell out of myself with my ill fitting teeth in. It's the first time in almost a week and a half that I have gone back out into the wild and got back to my happy place.

I am still working on chewing and most of the time when I get really fustrated or the pain gets too bad, I take the teeth out and power mash the food down.

By the way, I am once again eating my beloved PB and J sandwhiches. Oh God did I miss them. Teeth out of course. I don't have alot of chewing room for some reason or another, I really gotta see my dentist about this.

So here we are today right now!! :) Tommorow I will try and write some more about whats going on!!

Thank you kindly to everyone that has taken the time to read this update, and given me so much support through PMs and correspondence on this blog.

Much love to all,
Michael
 
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:XXLhug: You are doing so well, hope you start to recover quickly now. Dentures are horrible thing to begin with. I am 31 with upper and lower partials (although not yet wearing the lower!) and for the first couple of weeks it was awful. I am not 4.5 weeks in and finally have times when I forget I even have them and at last I can eat properly!:)
 
Ugh Michael, I'm so sorry about your "Dentures From Hell" ordeal. I wish I had wonderful words of wisdom for you but I don't... just hang in there (what's the alternative?) because things can only get better from here (I know, I know, "thanks professor" :giggle:) Big hug for you! :hug2:
 
Michael, you may be trying to tough it out a bit too much. My dentist actually told me I would be better to use an adhesive as I learned to use the dentures as it would cushion my gums and make the dentures more secure as I learned to talk and eat. I've already ate meatloaf..on day 8.
Be patient..it's a learning experience..that's for sure. Hopefully things will improve for you soon.
 
Michael,

Where have you gone? I stumbled upon this website support group last night. I've been feeling extremely hopeless with my new full denture situation. I'm 9 days out today, and I feel VERY depressed. I too suffer from depression, I'm 32, and feel like CRAP.

After coming across your story, I actually was laughing..... You hit the nail on the head for me over and over, and you have a wonderful silver tounge. It's very refreshing to read your words. I appreciated every entry, and am wondering where you've gone? I can't seem to find any new posts from you......

I hope you are doing well, and I would absolutely LOVE to hear from YOU.


Carrie
 
Michael..man I am so sorry you've had such an ordeal with your denture process.
Sept will be my one yr anniversary with dentures.
Just remember, things will get better..boy will it ever.
Having a beautiful smile now makes it worth the process..especially when one no longer has a mouth thats hurting.
I too have a journal here..I had a good experience with my denture process.
Bigggg healing hugs and I look forward to reading more.
Marcelle
 
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