#Aileuromania vs gum disease

[aileuromania]

Long Dental Post

Some of you might remember the dental kerfuffle I went through six years ago (gods, has it really been that long?). There were pictures I posted of ridiculous amounts of weird and even esoteric items I had to take and use daily in order to rid myself of the amoebae that were living in my mouth (gross, I know). There were odd brushes designed to get into odd nooks and crannies. There were dental plans that one of my cats decided was delicious (RIP Tanny, I still have that well-fanged sheet).

After that I presented to the dental clinic every three months for a cleaning, getting seen once a year by whatever clinic dentist was available at the time to always be told, “You need them removed.” No shit, Sherlock, welcome to my nightmare. I had a splint put in for my worst teeth, which had to be replaced after a year as the original dentist didn’t do it right. After it was done by the clinic owner (brilliant dentist, the one I initially wanted to see for everything but he was only available one day a week), it lasted five more years.

I have a distinct aversion to toothless mouths. When babies give me their gummy smiles I actively have to work at not being revolted. My parents both had false teeth and it was those horrible sunken lipped kisses, and worse, the teasing lip puckers, that turned me right off the thought of ever getting dentures for myself. I am terrified and horrified at the notion. That would just make my already low self-worth sink … well, honestly, into the Earth’s core, given how low it usually is.

But still the dentists all said, “I don’t know what you want me to tell you, they need to be removed.” One added with a laugh, “But you have no cavities!” Thanks mate, I appreciate that. Seriously.

My other option apart from dentures as presented by my really good dentist was implants, but we can’t afford that. So I’m trying to hold on to my own teeth for as long as I can because the only option we vaguely could afford is dentures. I swore to my ever-changing line of hygienists that I’d keep my teeth until I was spitting them out, and even started refusing my yearly check up by the dentists. What was the point when I knew they had to come out? Even if I got a cavity, those teeth were goners anyway, right?

I was finally assigned a regular hygienist and soldiered on, going in every three months like a good girl.

In December 2020 I finally caved in to my mounting anxiety about going to the clinic, going out during COVID, going in to see my increasingly snarky (to my admittedly anxious ears) hygienist at all and stayed home for essentially a year. I ignored the clinic’s texts and just waited for my teeth to drop out. They sometimes hurt a bit, but they’re still hanging on. One tooth detached from the wire splint they put in, but it’s still there, I just clean around it.

In January this year the clinic called me. I don’t normally pick up my phone when it rings, but I could see who it was and thought it was time to bite the bullet (so to speak) and book an appointment for a cleaning at least. I requested a change of hygienist, and today I went in.

I decided that as it was over a year I should get told that my teeth need to be removed again see a dentist for a check up. This dentist was a new person, and had only been there for a year or so. He actually talked to me! He didn’t laugh! He actually gave me options other than removal/dentures/implants! He referred me to a periodontologist! And my new hygienist was so understanding! She said I should have been referred to the periodontologist years ago, and they try to get people to keep their own teeth for as long as possible. She also suggested implant and denture hybrids, though since I’ve come home I’ve looked into them and feel I still won’t be able to afford those.

But! Where were these helpful people throughout those years of having shoulders shrugged at me and being told my teeth need to come out?! It might be too late for my teeth, but I’m still not getting rid of them until I’m spitting them out.

But hey, I still have no cavities!