• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

    Register now to access all the features of the forum.

Dental Destiny (or Mysteries of My Mouth!)

June 3rd, 2010 - My journey is complete!!!!

I am soooooooooooooo happy!!
I am going to have to practices my S's, and I will also need to practice eating in public, LOL!! But it is most definitely worth it.

I HAVE TEETH! I HAVE A MOUTH FULL OF TEETH!!
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge -

My Beautiful Bottom Partial:

Bottom Partial 4.jpg Bottom Partial 5.jpg

In my mouth:

Bottom Partial 3.jpg Bottom Partial 2.jpg

MY HAPPY NEW SMILE (with no gaps)!!!!!

Bottom Partial 6.jpg

No matter what happens now, I can laugh and smile and not be self conscious anymore!! I am so glad I made this journey, I feel like I can face the world and be myself again for the first time in years!!

Today was a good day . . . . . . . .
 
:jump::yay::jump::yay::jump:

They, and your new smile look absolutely fantastic!
 
Thats a super result, well done, they are great.

:jump::jump::jump:
 
:jump: Looks great!!
 
I can't imagine how happy you must be feeling right now. It must be amazing to be able to smile confidently again. It gives me something to look forward to. Well done on your dental destiny! :yay::yay::yay:
 
awwww bump, you look incredible :jump:
 
Ready For A Twist?!?!?!?

Thank you all for your responses! I do feel like a new woman!!

I went to the doctor on May 12th, because I was feeling some anxiety - nothing to do with my mouth, just some personal things going on. At 43, I had never had my cholesterol checked, and I thought maybe it was about time (my brother had to have 3 stints put in last year, and is on 80mg of Lipitor a day - my mom is on 10mg of Lipitor a day, and they both also have diabetes). A few days later the blood work came back, and they called me with the results. No diabetes, but my cholesterol WAS a little high. They didn't give me my number, but I guess it wasn't high enough for medication. They told me to avoid fats and grease in my diet.

I googled for information on lowering cholesterol through diet, and have been on a "self made - low cholesterol" diet since.

In the 3 weeks since, I have lost 15 pounds. I hope to continue doing well, and now that I have my bottom partial, I am hoping that I will be able to eat salads (though I am NOT a salad fan!!), and cut up apples again, instead of apple sauce!!! I haven't tried any "hard" fruits yet, but I am going grocery shopping today, so I'll see how I do after I get some hard fruits in the house. I used to love pears, but haven't had one in years!! So that is first on my list to try!!

Now for the twist - - -ready????

The other night my hubby and I were lying in bed talking. I don't remember how the subject of teeth came up, but he has got one of his top front teeth super loose. It's so bad, he can't bite into anything - not even a soft sandwich. I've told him a few times that once my mouth was done, we would be able to start getting work done on HIS mouth. We haven't been able to do anything yet because he has no insurance through his employer, medical or dental, though he can get medical through the VA, because he is a veteran, they don't offer dental services the we know of. I do not have him on my insurance, mine just covers me and my two kids.

So, lying there in bed talking about starting to get the work done, I told him that he should go to my dentist because she and her staff are the best. Let's get your mouth looked at and see what need to be done, I said to him.

"I don't know how to say this", he responds.
"Say what?", I ask.
"I am terrified of the dentist, and anything relating to going to the dentist", he says to me.

Okay, knock me for a loop!!!! :o

After going through my journey with me - being there and sooooo supportive of me during the IV sedation worries and fears, I would have NEVER EVER thought he was scared of the dentist!! He never did go to the dentist with me, but I had never needed him to. I have no fear of dentistry. I HAD fear of the IV sedation, but we worked my extraction date around his normal Wednesday off from work so he could drive me there and back home, and be woth me for the rest of the day, and he was there. He was in the waiting room when they called me into the room I would have the extractions in, and was waiting for me in the recovery area when I walked out of it. He never did want to hear details of any of the procedures I've been going through, though he has always been sympathetic to and supportive of me. I just assumed that the details bored him. He is both a political and mechanical animal, and if it doesn't have anything to do with politics or vehicles, it generally tends to bore him, so this is what I thought when he didn't seem that interested in the goings on of my mouth!!

So - he continues to tell me, "I'm sorry. The thought of having to go have someone poke around in my mouth terrifies me. Look at me, I'm shaking just talking about it."

I said to him, "John, you don't have to apologize to me because you a scared, you were there for me when I needed you with my fears of the sedation, and YOU helped me through that. I will be here for you with this."

He calmed down then, and we dropped the subject. We haven't discussed it since. He will comment that his tooth is getting worse. He's now afraid it's going to fall out while he is eating something. I think I'm going to have to be the one to make the appointment for him. I will have to plan it for a Wednesday when he doesn't work, and I will need to take that afternoon off from work. I will call the dentist next week, and see how much it will run for an examine and x-rays for him, without insurance. I know he will need a deep clean first off. I have noticed lately that he has got a lot of build up along his bottom teeth at the gum line. Then we will see what needs to be done as far as his teeth are concerned. The loose tooth will have to go, he may loose it if they do impressions for any reason, it's THAT loose in his mouth. I don't see how he can stand it, it moves at the slightest touch. He can actually twist it in his mouth - uugggghhh.

Well, I'll start making the first steps for him. He needs to get this sorted ASAP. He works with the public, and this tooth is driving him crazy. He has become self conscious about it now, and I feel so bad for him.

Wish me well in helping him get his smile the way he wants it. . . .
 
Amazing that he's been all through your journey and managed to hide his phobia so well! Maybe you should suggest he join the forum.

I'm not sure my husband ever realized how terrified I am of the dentist either..until I knocked out that front tooth and HAD to make an appointment. :censored:
 
:jump::jump::jump: Your new smile is perfect!

:XXLhug: for your husband, at least now he has spoken to you he can get the help he needs.
 
Well, it's been a while since my last update.

I am to the point now that when I am home, both the partial bottom and the full top denture come out.

I am going to have to go and have the bottom adjusted somehow. The front tooth rides much lower than my natural teeth, and looks out of place. I am not sure if they can do anything with it or not. It looks "normal" when I put the denture in first thing in the morning, but after an hour or so, it is too low. Also, sometimes the color looks fine, but most times it looks much brighter than my own teeth. I also have a spot that needs to be shaved just a bit, because it has a rough edge that aggravates my gum.

And my top denture is now just barely hanging in there. I think that between the 18 pounds I've lost since being on my cholesterol diet, and the natural healing of my gums, it's crazy loose and I can't eat without it slopping all over my mouth!!

I was supposed to have the permanent reline done in August, but when I go to the dentist for my issues with the bottom partial, I ask if we can move the permanent reline to July, and see what she thinks. I haven't been back to the dentist at all since I got the bottom partial on June 3rd!! How strange that seems after going almost every week since January, for one thing or another!!

Anyway, it's not so bad.

I have oatmeal most mornings for breakfast, which isn't really a problem with the dentures (I eat breakfast at work). For lunch it's usually just a sandwich (which is now becoming a problem, with the top being so loose), and a few baked chips or cut up fruit. Then usually by the time we have dinner, the dentures are out, and I eat without them.

Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to have both the top and bottom dentures to wear when I walk out the door and go into public!! And I know once the top denture fits properly again, I will eat with them in, it's just a little bit frustrating at the moment. With all the money and time that went in to getting them, I'd have hoped not to have to deal with this, but I know too, that because I got the immediate denture for the top, that this was bound to happen!!

I wish everyone a great weekend!!
 
hey Bump :) I know that feeling so well, I was leaving my uppers out most of the time because they had become so loose, even with the glue they didn't stay put for to long and eating was done without them, lowers forget them they dont go in lol. I went back to dentist last week for first time in around 2 months, he did some sort of temporary reline on the uppers and wow they feel great again. Back to eating with them in :). I go back on the 13th July and he is going to do new impressions and give me a whole new set ;D. I'm sure when you get that reline it theywill be great again and well done on the weight loss:jump:
Julie :XXLhug:
 
Well, I went in for my hard reline on Monday, the 19th. Got to the dentist office at 9:00.

After removing the last soft reline material, the dentist put fresh "gunk" right into the denture and into my mouth it went. WOW -can you say NASTY????
Whatever this impression material was, it had to be THE WORST tasting stuff ever!

At least this time I had my bottom partial in, which helped immensely with getting the good impression I've been hoping for since getting the top denture! After I was done I went home. I just couldn't go back to work without my top teeth!! I sound like a little old lady when my dentures not in, so that would never do!! LOL

They said it would come back that afternoon. They'd expect it back no later than 4:00 - if it came in sooner they'd give me a call and let me know.

I did. They called me back at 3:00, so I went in. The dentist had to trim some off the front gum part, because it was way too thick. I told her that the very back against the roof of my mouth hurt. She said that's where my suction comes from, and she took a little bit off, and told me to try it for a few days. We made an appointment for Friday morning for another adjustment if needed.

I needed. The last few days, as soon as I got home from work, the denture would come flying out and spend the rest of the night in it's cup!! The roof of my mouth actually had a rather large indent from the "suction" part, and talk about OUCH!!

When I got to the dentist today, I explained what was happening, and had her feel the roof of my mouth as soon as I took the denture out.

She fixed it. When I left her office, I could bite down and not have any pain. YAY!!!!! At the last appointment, she shaved some off of the lower partial where I had developed a sore spot, so I spent my first day today with no problems what-so-ever from either denture!! I ate ravioli for lunch, and they didn't budge!! YEE-HAW!!!!!

So now, hopefully, aside from cleanings on my 6 remaining teeth, my journey is complete. My teeth look terrific, and they seem to be finally comfortable enough to wear all day, everyday! HIP, HIP, HOO-RAY!!!

Can you tell I'm excited, ecstatic, and energized?!?!??!
 
Hi Bumpthumper, I've enjoyed reading your lovely positive, informative, journal, thank you for writing it.
Your new smile is wonderful!!
 
:jump::yay::jump::yay: That's great to read:).
 
:jump::jump:Well done, sounds like a result to me.:cheers:
 
well done bump! i have been reading with you and now you are at the end.

isn't it great to write those words 'my journey is complete'????????? and 'my teeth look terrific'???

:XXLhug: ronny
 
Congratulations, bump. Well done!

rp
 
:jump: Fantastic! (I cannot wait for my own hard reline!)
 
Thank you ALL for your responses!!

Another quick update.

Last weekend, my OH and I drove from Godley, Texas to Boonville, MO to pick up two of his kids for their annual summer visit. (His son is actually moving in with us, which is why they didn't just fly down, we had to get all his "stuff" too.

I drove the entire trip (ANOTHER control thing, like my fear of sedation - I hate being a passenger!) It was about a 1,300 mile round trip, done non-stop, except for gas, restroom breaks and getting the kids.

22 hours in the car straight through, with my dentures in the ENTIRE time, and NO PROBLEMS TO REPORT!!!!

I believe now, as I did at the very beginning of my journey into denturedom, that this was THE best decision I've made for myself EVER!!

Being able to smile and talk without covering my mouth makes me feel terrific, as does the fact that I no longer have constant bad breath - as a matter of fact, I no longer have bad breath at all!! Being able to chew food properly makes my digestive system much healthier I think, no more stomach aches day after day, and just being able to eat without the fear of my teeth crumbling or breaking off is like a release from fear that I haven't known in YEARS!!

I would wish for everyone going through this type of journey to have all the luck I seem to have had. Sure there were a few rough days here and there, but overall, MY experience has been absolutely positive. From finding my dentist when my front tooth broke off, to the oral surgeon that did my extractions (on my dentist's recommendation), the lab my dentist used, that made my dentures look sooo much like my natural teeth, that no one would guess I have dentures, to the follow-up and after care appointments for adjustments, etc.

I have tried throughout my journal not to sugar coat anything. So, as you have read through it, I hope you were able to find some inspiration to hang in there and get whatever work you need done, done. Living with pain, or shame is no way to live. Find someone to support you in seeking out the dentist that fits YOUR needs, a dentist willing to take their time, if that's what YOU require, or uses sedation, it that's what you think YOU need. Having someone, whether a friend or spouse, that can help you, is great. Mine helped my with my fear of sedation, and I will never be able to thank him enough!! Because without his being there for me, I don't know if I'd have had the positive journey that I have.

And this site. I've said it numerous time, and I will say it again, and again, this has also been one of the biggest helps throughout the last 7 months. This forum, which gives us the opportunity to ask questions, get answers, and just vent our frustrations, is INCREDIBLE!! Thanks so much for creating this site for us all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top