Tooth Extraction got me thinking!!

[bersaguy]

All my life I had relatively good teeth. Took good care of them when at all possible. Then something happened that changed all of that and thought I would see if anyone here has experienced what I did. In 1996 I suffered a (Minor) stroke. I had totally recovered from it in about a year I thought but I was wrong according to my dentist. In 1997 I had three of my teeth come loose during a meal. I was careful as I finished the meal and next day was at the dentist office. He did xrays and after looking at the xrays came back with alarming news. He said the roots holding those 3 teeth had just deteriorated and nothing was holding them except my gums. He asked me if I was in pain and I said not at all. He proceeded to extract all 3 teeth with no sedative at all and they didn't even bleed. He went back and looked at the xrays and said that a couple other teeth were in the beginning stages of losing their roots also. He said he would do some research on this as he had never seen this before. About a week later I had 2 more teeth come lose and within 2 days I had just wiggled them a little and pull both of them with my fingers and again no blood.

My dentist contacted me about 10 days later and I told him about pulling 2 more and he asked me a question. He asked me if I had anything happen to me making me physically sick over the last couple years. I told him of the stroke and he said ok and said he would get back with me. He did an hour later with the bad news.  He said that the stroke had messed up my body chemistry and the area of the brain that supports the teeth was no longer functioning and I would probably lose all my teeth over time and suggested I get them all pulled and get plates made. I told him I would get back with him. Over the next 1.5 years I had removed every tooth in my mouth with my fingers and not one bled. I waited about a year for my gums to get to a point I thought would work and went and had plates made. I think I got my first set of plates in about 2001. Took me about 6 months to learn how to eat with them but they never fit right so went back and had them adjusted 4 different times and each time they would work for about a month and then needed to be adjusted again.

I finally just gave up on getting plates that would work. Even went to other places to see if they could make something that worked and had zero luck. I tried every product on the market that is suppose to hold your dentures in place and nothing worked. I began to look back to the days when my father was still alive. He also wore plates and his would fit and remain in place with one of the products over the counter. Now this was something we use to tease him about. When he got ready to eat a meal of any kind he would remove his plates to eat. He said they would always come loose when he ate so he ate without them. We all accused him of having a ridge in his mouth like a snapping turtle instead of gums. About the only things he could not eat is things like peanuts or chew gum.

Now as for me. I am beginning to think I also have a ridge like a snapping turtle. I don't wear plates and haven't for quite a few years and I am like my father. I can eat just about anything I like including steak. Recently I considered looking into these new permanent implates they offer and if I was 10 of 15 years younger I would but I am not a vain person that needs teeth to look good when I smile  and I think I would be throwing money away at my age..  

[res308]

I would absolutely love to get rid of all of mine and have the implants done, but I believe it's very expensive 

[bersaguy]

1 hour ago, res308 said:

I would absolutely love to get rid of all of mine and have the implants done, but I believe it's very expensive 

It is very costly and most dental insurance companies won't cover it....!!!

[Ronald_55]

My Dad was facing several root canals a few years ago and pulled all his to save money. He kept having bone slivers work up to the gum surface for 2 years or so. Then had trouble talking or eating for another year or 2 with his "permenant" set of dentures. Not sure it was a good decision to base on cost alone.

[alingo2001]

I'm going tomorrow to get a molar tooth pulled and talk about getting it ready for an implant. It's the middle of three so they said the other 2 would try and touch over time. She told me the total cost on the implant was around 3K and no help from insurance.

[res308]

2 hours ago, alingo2001 said:

I'm going tomorrow to get a molar tooth pulled and talk about getting it ready for an implant. It's the middle of three so they said the other 2 would try and touch over time. She told me the total cost on the implant was around 3K and no help from insurance.

Wow. That is a lot more than I thought it would be for just one. 

[peejman]

3 minutes ago, res308 said:

Wow. That is a lot more than I thought it would be for just one. 

Implants ain't cheap. 

[res308]

At this point I'm thinking I'll just go to my buddy the blacksmith and get him to forge me out a set

[Chucktshoes]

2 minutes ago, res308 said:

At this point I'm thinking I'll just go to my buddy the blacksmith and get him to forge me out a set

[res308]

Yeah, I'll take a set just like that. 

[MacGyver]

I remember Jaws for the first time as a young kid on some TBS Bond marathon.

I don't know that there's even been a movie character that's creeped me out for as long as Jaws has.

 

 

[Erik88]

The lesson for me from reading this thread is to take good care of my teeth. Having things pulled sounds miserable.

[MacGyver]

We often talk so much about bad stuff happening on this board - it's probably worth noting that dental health is one area where life has gotten so much better for the majority of the population.

It used to be that by middle age - dental health for a lot of people was a major issue.  And, dental issues can lead to so many other health issues.

In just a couple of generations with the introduction of fluoride - you've got people keeping their teeth into their 80s.  

It's really amazing - and worth noting.

[KahrMan]

1 hour ago, MacGyver said:

I remember Jaws for the first time as a young kid on some TBS Bond marathon.

I don't know that there's even been a movie character that's creeped me out for as long as Jaws has.

 

 

Jaws was the first R rated movie I saw.  I was 7 or 8 and it scared the crap out of me.

[MacGyver]

 Between Jaws and Oddjob - those Bond movies had two of the creepiest henchmen of all times. 

[KahrMan]

 I meant Jaws the movie.  I need to slow down when I read.  I always liked Jaws from the Bond series.

[Chucktshoes]

3 hours ago, KahrMan said:

Jaws was the first R rated movie I saw.  I was 7 or 8 and it scared the crap out of me.

Jaws was Rated PG. Ratings were a bit different in the 70s. 

[KahrMan]

2 hours ago, Chucktshoes said:

Jaws was Rated PG. Ratings were a bit different in the 70s. 

Had no idea.  I always thought it was a R rated movie.  Well it still scared the crap out of me especially when the head fell out of the port hole window under water.

Edited September 25, 2018 by KahrMan

[bersaguy]

1 hour ago, KahrMan said:

Had no idea.  I always thought it was a R rated movie.  Well it still scared the crap out of me especially when the head fell out of the port window under water.

I know to this day I have friends that use to love to swim in the ocean but after seeing that movie have never went swimming in salt water again.

[KahrMan]

1 hour ago, KahrMan said:

Had no idea.  I always thought it was a R rated movie.  Well it still scared the crap out of me especially when the head fell out of the port hole window under water.

It wasn't a porthole, it was just a hole in the boat.  

 

 

[bersaguy]

3 minutes ago, KahrMan said:

It wasn't a porthole, it was just a hole in the boat.  

 

 

Yep, a hole put there by a mighty big fish.......JMHO

[OLDNEWBIE]

I remember jumping out of my seat when I first saw that scene!

On implants, My Dad started getting a few of his teeth replaced with them in his mid 70s. Maybe 4 or 5.

by age 80 he had to get them removed because his bones weren't strong enough to hold them. He finally had all his teeth pulled.

I think implants are for the young perhaps.

[Murgatroy]

Due to several factors, including growing up deep in Appalachia, being dirt poor for the first half and then some of my life, an aversion to seat belts and a penchant for pugilistic endeavors, I had lost more than half of my teeth by the time I was twenty one. I suffered greatly in both self esteem and pain for about fifteen years before I paid a very large sum of money to rectify the situation. I have had two sets of plates made. My first set was done before the surgery and fitted when I woke up. It took six months to learn to eat and speak again. Whistling was a fun one. After a couple of years I had my second set of plates fitted to my new mouth shape. I have had them adjusted a couple of times. 

One, the fact I can smile with a full set of teeth is a huge aspect. It is hard to be taken serious when you have no teeth. Pun intended. Regardless of your resume, your accomplishments, education, etc, you are looked down upon as a toothless imbecile.

Two, the pain I suffered everyday was crippling. I would deal with a tooth abscess on a weekly basis. I came to rely on way too many Goody Powders on a daily basis, which of course also affected my health in other manners. Granted the upside is my superhuman tolerance to pain at this point in my life, but lets be honest, it wasn't worth the ability to shrug off broken bones and perform your own sutures.

Three, the ability to actually eat again. When you have no/broken teeth it is difficult to eat without great pain, and often you can't eat at all, you just sip soup or oatmeal. Sure, now I can't crack a jawbreaker, but I can chew a steak again.

 

My plates fit well.  I have a good dentist, and I paid a very hefty sum ($20k) for the work. I have not had post implants for the bottom plate, however that is something I am considering. I use powder for my top plate, and it will last all day. I use glue for my bottom plate, a small amount goes a long way. However I do normally only get one meal out of the bottom plate before I have to renew the glue to continue the day. If anyone is on the fence about it, I can't recommend it enough. It has had nothing but positive results for me. However, you must understand that I knocked out five or six of my front teeth in various auto accidents and had very poor dental hygiene habits for most of my life. I can literally count the times I have been to a dentist before solving the issue on one hand.

 

My daughter has regular dentist visits. She brushes twice a day at minimum, we have been to the orthodontist regularly, pulled overcrowded teeth, etc. She is currently in braces and I have done everything I can to stress the importance of proper oral hygiene to her so that much like the other rough paths I have tread, she never has to experience it. 

[Raoul]

On 9/25/2018 at 9:19 AM, MacGyver said:

I remember Jaws for the first time as a young kid on some TBS Bond marathon.

I don't know that there's even been a movie character that's creeped me out for as long as Jaws has.

 

 

Thanks, you just made me feel ancient...lol

[MacGyver]

55 minutes ago, Raoul said:

Thanks, you just made me feel ancient...lol

To be fair - there was probably at least a 30 year period where you could’ve been a young kid and caught a Bond marathon on TBS.  

I think i was 4 when The Spy Who Loved Me came out - and maybe 5 for Moonraker.  

I don’t remember what my first Bond movie in the theater was - but I certainly walked to the theater up the street with a few of my friends growing up.