Dentist update!

[tsaiko]

The good news: My teeth are disgustingly healthy for the amount of neglect and abuse (read: sweet tea) I give them. I continue my trend of having no cavities.



The bad news: My gums are awful. Obviously crud has built up around the bottom of my teeth to the point that my gums were swollen and thin. Cleaning my teeth involved quite a bit of blood. So much so that I almost made a crack about how it was a good thing I wasn't actually anemic (the joke being that I have dizzy spells and had been tested for anemia so many times it's not funny. I, of course, let them know about the dizzy spells just in case I had one).

There was relatively little pain though desite the fact that it felt like they were going to take bits of my teeth off they were cleaning them so hard. Good dentist. Good dental technician. I'll be going back there in a month to have my gums looked at again. In the mean time, I have been told that I am to floss. Trust me after the hour and a half cleaning I got today, I do not need to be told that twice. Anything to make that process go quicker and involve less blood loss.

I also have some medicated mouth wash I have to use for a few days. It tastes like ass.

The second round of bad news that is not quite bad news is that I will most definitely have at least two, and quite possibly all four, of my wisdom teeth taken out. Why? Because the bottom two are coming in sideways. Even the dentist was a little shocked at that. I swear if I can get a copy of the X-ray I will put it up because it is amazing to look at it and go "Where is the root of the... oh hey, it's sideways." Then, inevitably, you turn your head to the side in order get a better look.

I have a referral to an oral surgeon, which I'm going to call during lunch either tomorrow or Wed. He'll make the final call on my top wisdom teeth, which are pretty much straight up and down but seem to be growing into the sides of the root or the teeth next to them.

I think I'm going to try and get the gum problem under control before I go having teeth removed unless something drastic happens. That means either later this year or early next year for the surgury. I wonder if I can get them to do it right before Thanksgiving? That way I'll have a nice, long time weekend to recover. I have no problems eating my Thanksgiving dinner through a straw. XD

Comments

[skylark97.livejournal.com]

*winces* Ow. Owowowowowowowowowow.

Plackers (http://www.plackers.com/mint.html) are like the best way to floss EVER. (They cost all of two bucks for a pack at any given drugstore) I keep a bag of them next to the computer and chew on them when I'm surfing the net. ^_^;; Still, they're the easiest way to floss as it doesn't involve having to cut off the circulation in your fingers or drool all over your hands in attempt to get a piece of string in your mouth.

And the wisdom teeth? Dude, I'm sorry. Those are going to hurt. ;_; I've had all four of mine pulled, two were impacted and I spent a week popping excedrin every six hours. Of course, I'm a wuss, but still...good luck! *glomps*

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

I'm going to try the floss first. If it gets to be too much of a pain, I might try those.

I have been wanting my wisdom teeth out for years. They bother the crap out of me, but never bad enough that I felt the need to go to the detist and get them out. Now that I have health insurance, those things are going.That and I got to gloat to my mom who kept telling me that my wisdom teeth were fine and it was all in my head.

I'm kind of ignoring the fact that getting them out is going to hurt like a bitch. I've already been told there's no way they can do just local and that I am going to be knocked out for the procedure because of what's going on with them.

[skylark97.livejournal.com]

They knocked me out when they took mine. It's easy as pie. Of course, I don't remember the three hours after they woke me up, but still...^_^;; My mother took me to a moive after mine were taken out, and I don't remember the first half of the film, and I drooled through the second half. Your face is mostly numb for the rest of the day. I went back to work the next day and it was fine as long as I kept popping the execedrin. (I tried to take the meds that the dentist prescribed, but I upchucked them all and decided that that probably wasn't the best thing to be doing right after someone has done surgery on your mouth so I just opted not to take them. >_>;; and I pretty much could tell to the minute when the execedrin wore off for that first week. After that, it was fine.)

[sheridankm.livejournal.com]

Owwww, I am sorry. I, too, fountain blood every time I get my teeth cleaned.

PS: My friend makes Thanksgiving dinner ice cream, with real turkey, potatoes, and cranberry sauce. We could make you a frappe. :D

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

The dental tech kept apologizing and I kept going "Yeah, this will teach me not to floss." Seeing what the dental instruments looked like afterwards was worse than actually getting them cleaned.

Thanksgiving dinner ice cream? I'm not sure if that would be really good or really nasty. XD

[sheridankm.livejournal.com]

For me, rinsing is the worst part. What I spit out is like 3 parts water to one part blood.

He says it's better than the clam chowder ice cream, for which I'm thankful.

[mechante-fille.livejournal.com]

*pets* Poor you! Good luck with the flossing plan. I floss... sometimes. Everyday for the few weeks before my detal visit every 6 months seems to do the trick. ...not that I'm advocating cheating, mind.

I never had wisdom teeth! Yup, I am more evolved than most. Whoot, me! Good luck with that, though... *pets more*

Oh! They make Thanksgiving flavored soda, too! Though... not sure if you are allow carbonation? *shrugs*

[anax.livejournal.com]

I had my wisdom teeth out last year. I'll spare you the tale if you didn't read it at the time, cos I don't want to scare you off. :) I'm glad, now, that I did it.

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

I did in fact read it at the time. I also remember you commenting at some point when my wisdom teeth were bothering me (and they bother me every couple of months now). When I was looking at the X-ray all I could think was "Okay, do sideways teeth fall under medical or dental?"

I just want them out. I'd rather deal with a bunch of short term pain than having reoccurring pain every couple of months.

[anax.livejournal.com]

When I was looking at the X-ray all I could think was "Okay, do sideways teeth fall under medical or dental?"

Could be either. You'll need to call to find out (but even that's not exactly reliable, cos Humana told me 4 different things when I asked them, none of which actually agreed with my certificate of insurance).

I agree with the recurring-pain thing. *thumbs up*

[velithya]

Ouch. Yeah, if your gums are bleeding, floss every day. From experience (although I don't think mine were as bad as yours) your gums will itch like crazy and eill be tender for like a week or two, and then they will start to get better. I found flossing and then rinsing hard (even if it was just with water) helped to stave off the itching somewhat.

You want to just have a local when you get your teeth out? :O I _seriously_ recommend the general. And, uh, I've been there, done that too. ^^ Mashed potato and mushed scrambled eggs are _awesome_. ;P

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

No, I was basically told by the dentist "Local is an option for most people but not for you. You will be under general." When I have surgery like that, I want to be knocked out. I do not want to hear anything like grinding in my skull.

I had one friend in HS who had to have work down on her jaw. She told me the best thing blended up is a hamburger without the bun.

[ainokitsune.livejournal.com]

This created an image in my mind of you in the chair, the dentist working away quietly, when blood gradually begins to trickle from between your teeth and then turns into a horrible gushing torrent that bathes the poor doctor in unflattering, vivid red.

Don't mind me. I've spent too much time in the sun today. (Really ^^)

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

It was bad enough watching bits of gum come off on the instruments! Although reading your mental image just reminds me of the time I got sick and deliberately aimed for a teacher. Mostly because it was her fault I was sick in the first place. Revenge.

Straw

[paisleyavenger.livejournal.com]

I hate to break it to you but a straw is a BIG NO NO after wisdom teeth surgery. They told me I might suck my stiches out. UGH. But that surgery was the EASIEST one EVER!!

Kat

Re: Straw

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

Suck your stitches out? Oh god, now I'm going to be paranoid as hell about that. I hope my surgury goes half as easily. We'll see.