G
Geophyre
Junior member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2018
- Messages
- 9
So... Here goes nothing. I'm glad I'm able to find people who get it. As long as I can remember I've had dental problems. I'll be 31 in June. I broke my two front teeth as a toddler and had a partial until I was six. I had fillings in almost all of my baby teeth and my permanent teeth came in with SEVERE crowding. I had a single mom who couldn't afford to keep me in braces so once I turned 18 and was off state insurance, I couldn't afford dental care... Then my wisdom teeth started to come in. I had to go to a free clinic here in GA to get several fillings done, some of which came out within weeks. They did a root canal which I later found out was done incorrectly. All four of my wisdom teeth were impacted and basically in the hinge of my jaw... They took out my 12 year molars on the bottom to hopefully make room as the wizzies were wrapped up in nerve clusters and they didn't want to cause nerve damage.
Cue the last 11 years of searing agony.
The teeth came in and ran out of room fast, considering my jaw could barely fit the teeth I had already. I already had weak enamel since birth and constant dry mouth which also leads to lots of laryngitis... My father had to get dentures when he was 40 for the same reason. My wisdom teeth started crushing all my other teeth, the bad dental patching I'd had done for free led to rot spreading. About 6 years ago I finally got the money and courage to be seen by a surgeon who looked in my mouth and asked me if I'd ever done hard drugs. I was mortified. Every dentist I've seen since I was 16 has had a horrible bedside manner. I've been too embarrassed to smile since I was 8 years old. I haven't been able to go to a dentist since then, even when I had insurance, because the work I need done is so extensive at this point I couldn't afford to take the time from work. My two pregnancies have made matters worse.
So... I'm 8 months pregnant with baby #2 and most of the teeth I have left are soft stumps ground down to the gums. My broken, rotten wisdom teeth are still moving and pressing into shards of bone and open sockets. I had to go to the er yesterday because my jaw is so swollen that I have a black eye and a swollen nose. I'm currently on caresourse through Medicaid and have an appointment later this week through Great Expressions and I'm scared.
I'm afraid of what they're going to say to me. How they're going to treat me. If they're going to look at me and think it's all my fault; that I have bad hygiene or took drugs. I never have. The worst things I've done are smoke and drink soda... I don't even drink alcohol. Even now I brush twice a day and sometimes more because it helps the pain in my gums. Sometimes I actually use Listerine 4x a day or more because it numbs the pain. For over a decade I've lived in Tylenol and ibuprofen just to get by. I'm so tired of hurting and would rather have no teeth and save for dentures... But I'm also terrified my insurance won't cover this. I've read that they only cover simple extractions and fillings and I don't think there's anything simple about this.
Thanks for reading, any advice is appreciated. Just needed someone to talk to.
Cue the last 11 years of searing agony.
The teeth came in and ran out of room fast, considering my jaw could barely fit the teeth I had already. I already had weak enamel since birth and constant dry mouth which also leads to lots of laryngitis... My father had to get dentures when he was 40 for the same reason. My wisdom teeth started crushing all my other teeth, the bad dental patching I'd had done for free led to rot spreading. About 6 years ago I finally got the money and courage to be seen by a surgeon who looked in my mouth and asked me if I'd ever done hard drugs. I was mortified. Every dentist I've seen since I was 16 has had a horrible bedside manner. I've been too embarrassed to smile since I was 8 years old. I haven't been able to go to a dentist since then, even when I had insurance, because the work I need done is so extensive at this point I couldn't afford to take the time from work. My two pregnancies have made matters worse.
So... I'm 8 months pregnant with baby #2 and most of the teeth I have left are soft stumps ground down to the gums. My broken, rotten wisdom teeth are still moving and pressing into shards of bone and open sockets. I had to go to the er yesterday because my jaw is so swollen that I have a black eye and a swollen nose. I'm currently on caresourse through Medicaid and have an appointment later this week through Great Expressions and I'm scared.
I'm afraid of what they're going to say to me. How they're going to treat me. If they're going to look at me and think it's all my fault; that I have bad hygiene or took drugs. I never have. The worst things I've done are smoke and drink soda... I don't even drink alcohol. Even now I brush twice a day and sometimes more because it helps the pain in my gums. Sometimes I actually use Listerine 4x a day or more because it numbs the pain. For over a decade I've lived in Tylenol and ibuprofen just to get by. I'm so tired of hurting and would rather have no teeth and save for dentures... But I'm also terrified my insurance won't cover this. I've read that they only cover simple extractions and fillings and I don't think there's anything simple about this.
Thanks for reading, any advice is appreciated. Just needed someone to talk to.