Does it get better?

[midwestGWOTvet]

As a kid, my mom gave me endless soda. Recurring visits to dentist, never made sense. Dentist says stop, but my family didn't. And every adult I knew had issues.

After 9/11, I enlisted as an infantryman. Started to get a handle on things, but when we'd deploy I was out of the wire and hygiene was difficult to maintain.

After my enlistment, as I was getting discharged the army dentists identified a lot of issues but told me it would need to be done by VA.

That fell through, they wouldn't. In the meantime I was working low-wage jobs with horrible benefits.

Eventually started having issues. I'd go to a dentist, they'd tell me the cost. it was out of reach. I asked one once, how I could afford it. He looked at me all disgusted and told me to go to a low income clinic and they'd pull them.

After over a decade, I got my rating moved up with the VA. Found out I could get work through them. But damage is largely done.

molars gone, may get some implants. but I have months of work ahead of me.

Can anyone tell me, after a full restoration is life better? Can I have a normal life and feel better about my mouth?

Wish I hadn't gotten to this point. didn't expect to get through Iraq. Now I look at my kid and want to show her good things and help her avoid my mistakes

 

[smirked]

You've been through a lot. You will get through this as well. It will get better.

I can't advise on implants. I went the denture route. Personally, once I have problematic things (teeth) removed from my jaw, I don't want to introduce more - potentially problematic things (implants).

From my experience, once things start to go wrong with your teeth, it's difficult to get on top of it. For me at least, I'd fix one thing and something else would go wrong. Sort of developed into a recurring trend. A vicious cycle.

 

[midwestGWOTvet]

@smirked is it better now? or do you feel better. 16 teeth need major work for me. and 4 probably need implants. think it'll be a year of going every 3 weeks for treatment. but as today's novacain wears off, I'm not sure I'm excited of the idea of 5 more iterations

 

[smirked]

@midwestGWOTvet To begin with, dentures are difficult. It wasn't easy.

I'm around 6 weeks in and feeling great. I'll see the dentist again in 6 months for my permanent set of dentures.

 

[midwestGWOTvet]

prayers for you. hope you feel better and happier. my FIL is adjusting to his.

had a friend that got smashed in the face and broke some teeth. for years he was in agony while the rest got worse and worse.

2 years ago he got his. and he says it changed his life.

think im about 12-18 months from the end. new baby in 5 months, in the middle of law school. hoping this let's me turn a corner on life. my teeth have terrified me for as long as I can remember

 

[smirked]

Having dental issues is difficult. I'm happier and my mouth is feeling so much better than before. My teeth were in an awful state. Dental health is a long battle. But you'll make it through. Just keep the end goal in mind.

For me that was being able to eat things again that I was forced to eliminate from my diet, due to bad teeth.

Also, congratulations on the baby. I became a father during my denture journey. He is 10 months now already. Time flies. For now, enjoy your free time, because that'll disappear

 

[midwestGWOTvet]

More or less doing a full restoration. My left side top molars hanging around. Bottom left molar I had a crown fail, broke the molar. Doc said needs extracted and replaced.

with restoration ongoing, eating is proving difficult. any advice on food? Just a little terrified how I'll do food while this is ongoing. Switching careers, half of my new life is meeting people. mostly over food. but right now everything is painful to eat.

 

[smirked]

@midwestGWOTvet that's a difficult one. Talking from my personal experience, eating can be difficult while losing teeth. In the end I had to go a while with no molars at all. Chewing only on the front teeth, towards the side.

Check my journal for for information.

This wasn't easy at all. Eating took a lot longer and was far from effortless. But it was doable. I had to cut a lot of food out of my diet. However, I tried to eat somewhat normally. I still prepared the same food for myself as I did for the rest of my family. It just took me a lot longer to eat.

Show me what you're working with. Mark-up the chart so I can get a better mental image of what you have going on.