I got a few replies asking about why I need Dental work so thought it would be easier to answer it in a post.
For one, my family seems to have a heredity line of crappy teeth, my mom losing hers at only 18 years old. I thought for a long time this applied to me but after going to the dentist the last time I had many pulled,the heredity factor may not apply to me per say.
My teeth started developing holes at the gum line in my mid 20's and started rotting from the base upwards. When I married hubby, they started declining at a rapid rate and I developed a hole in one tooth that went right into the gum line where food accumulated giving me one heck of a nasty infection. Seriously, I begged him to take me out in the woods and shoot me, and we knew it was going to be a costly repair.
We lived in an area where medical is sometimes hard to receive at the time but we located a dentist ( partly retired) and found out I have anomalies that is not found usually. In a normal persons mouth, some teeth ( the front incisors) have one root, others have 2 or 3 such as molars and wisdom teeth. ( My wisdom teeth never came in but rotted under the gum and were hollow)
These roots usually go down and are attached to the jaw bone. In my case every single tooth in my mouth has 3 very tiny shallow roots that go out vertical and basically were not attached to anything. It is a case where the roots just can not support anything so they started shriveling up and dying.
At the time, we had some money and we had some credit but my teeth went beyond what a dentist will touch, so he gave me antibiotics and set me up an appointment with an oral surgeon 3 hours away.
The plan was to pull 20 some teeth, leaving 12 and they would fit me with partial dentures.
This was several years ago and we wanted ALL pulled and pushed hard but they kept refusing saying it was better to start with partials. We knew at the time if we did not get them all done then, money to finish the job later would be an issue.
So we went the 3 hours away to the tune of $6,000. We had some and took a bank loan for the rest of that amount. Either have the money or don't get it done was how that area worked. ( I never got the partials though, we could not afford them!)
Later as the dozen teeth they left declined, ( which were already bad when they left them!) with no dental insurance we are looking at around $1800 to get the rest pulled and around $3,000 for dentures which just has not been doable since 2008 for us.
I am at the moment left with a dozen broken, black teeth, one which has broken off leaving another hole in my gum line but a piece of the tooth is still buried in the gum line as well.
I usually do not like going into details with my teeth, I don't like photos of me, I don't smile in front of strangers and am horribly self conscious and get tired of people telling me to just go get it taken care of. I am fully aware dental issues like mine can cause heart problems, blood poisoning and a whole list of health issues.
I seem to have a body that likes to mature 20 years early in every aspect, and always have. In high school they always asked for my school ID thinking I was too old to be in school. I developed and went through puberty before my older sister, people mistake me for my husbands mother ( he is 2 years younger than me) or my kids grandmother. My hair went gray at 25. I am 44 and often mistaken to be in my 60's. I also seem to have health issues of someone much older including already losing 2 inches in height.
I have simply accepted this as my normal biological clock on high speed and with the high price of my dental needs, it has been put off much longer than it should have. Every time since 2008 we have tried to build a savings to get it taken care of, something major always has come along to wipe out what little we manage to save.
While I am okay with much of how we live, I am NOT okay with our lack of medical and dental care, this really bothers me as it should. Come hell or high water it is an issue I plan on dealing with and resolving for 2013 as a TOP priority.
For one, my family seems to have a heredity line of crappy teeth, my mom losing hers at only 18 years old. I thought for a long time this applied to me but after going to the dentist the last time I had many pulled,the heredity factor may not apply to me per say.
My teeth started developing holes at the gum line in my mid 20's and started rotting from the base upwards. When I married hubby, they started declining at a rapid rate and I developed a hole in one tooth that went right into the gum line where food accumulated giving me one heck of a nasty infection. Seriously, I begged him to take me out in the woods and shoot me, and we knew it was going to be a costly repair.
We lived in an area where medical is sometimes hard to receive at the time but we located a dentist ( partly retired) and found out I have anomalies that is not found usually. In a normal persons mouth, some teeth ( the front incisors) have one root, others have 2 or 3 such as molars and wisdom teeth. ( My wisdom teeth never came in but rotted under the gum and were hollow)
These roots usually go down and are attached to the jaw bone. In my case every single tooth in my mouth has 3 very tiny shallow roots that go out vertical and basically were not attached to anything. It is a case where the roots just can not support anything so they started shriveling up and dying.
At the time, we had some money and we had some credit but my teeth went beyond what a dentist will touch, so he gave me antibiotics and set me up an appointment with an oral surgeon 3 hours away.
The plan was to pull 20 some teeth, leaving 12 and they would fit me with partial dentures.
This was several years ago and we wanted ALL pulled and pushed hard but they kept refusing saying it was better to start with partials. We knew at the time if we did not get them all done then, money to finish the job later would be an issue.
So we went the 3 hours away to the tune of $6,000. We had some and took a bank loan for the rest of that amount. Either have the money or don't get it done was how that area worked. ( I never got the partials though, we could not afford them!)
Later as the dozen teeth they left declined, ( which were already bad when they left them!) with no dental insurance we are looking at around $1800 to get the rest pulled and around $3,000 for dentures which just has not been doable since 2008 for us.
I am at the moment left with a dozen broken, black teeth, one which has broken off leaving another hole in my gum line but a piece of the tooth is still buried in the gum line as well.
I usually do not like going into details with my teeth, I don't like photos of me, I don't smile in front of strangers and am horribly self conscious and get tired of people telling me to just go get it taken care of. I am fully aware dental issues like mine can cause heart problems, blood poisoning and a whole list of health issues.
I seem to have a body that likes to mature 20 years early in every aspect, and always have. In high school they always asked for my school ID thinking I was too old to be in school. I developed and went through puberty before my older sister, people mistake me for my husbands mother ( he is 2 years younger than me) or my kids grandmother. My hair went gray at 25. I am 44 and often mistaken to be in my 60's. I also seem to have health issues of someone much older including already losing 2 inches in height.
I have simply accepted this as my normal biological clock on high speed and with the high price of my dental needs, it has been put off much longer than it should have. Every time since 2008 we have tried to build a savings to get it taken care of, something major always has come along to wipe out what little we manage to save.
While I am okay with much of how we live, I am NOT okay with our lack of medical and dental care, this really bothers me as it should. Come hell or high water it is an issue I plan on dealing with and resolving for 2013 as a TOP priority.
Sounds like you have an excellent plan. Go for it!
ReplyDeleteI agree stick firm and true with that plan as no one should have to suffer like you have had too.
ReplyDeleteGill
Over the past two years I've dealt with dental/gum issues that have really sensitized me to how terrible it is to deal with problem teeth. I've been blessed with really good, sturdy teeth. While I did have a few cavities as a young child, I haven't needed any fillings in my adult teeth. Regular visits to the dentist for exams and cleanings are all I've ever needed, and I've had dental insurance all my life. Last year I had some gum grafts done and wow was that a big deal. Novocaine was new to me and having stitches in my mouth for weeks was very uncomfortable. This year I started orthodontia specifically so I'll have an easier time cleaning my crowded teeth and keeping them strong as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteEvery month I go to the orthodontist for new adjustments and spend a couple days with teeth so sore it is hard to chew. That's new for me, but it sounds like something you probably deal with every day.
The lack of dental care for low income people in the U.S. is also something I wasn't aware of until seeing a Frontline program about the issue just this year. The Affordable Care Act doesn't even address dental care. I hope that within a couple years it is amended to include such a necessary benefit because as you note, dental health problems can contribute to other health issues.
I hope you get relief soon.