Removable teeth (Or a story of bueracracy)

[Apelila]

So after posting my new teeth in the real life picture thread, the following got asked:

Do you give head with the teeth out?

I feel bad for having the same question pop into my head. lol

I don't know the story about what happened to your teeth. Tell me all your business. (*'-')

So after being asked nicely in a PM, here's the story of why my teeth can come out and why you never want to go through this. I'm going to overshare. Enjoy.

Why my teeth went bad is long and complicated.I'll get into a bit as we go along. Lets just say a lack of knowledge, insurance then funds led to this. This is so you all get to know what happens when the doctor gives you a choice between 8 dental surgeries or 1 with no more dental work ever.

Step one: Here are two bad options.
When I started this bullshit I weighed 170 lbs. (I'm 6'4")
Going into this I thought "Ok, 2 teeth pulled and one with an obvious problem. That isn't terrible".
An xray showed that half my teeth where 'hollow' from rot though appearing perfectly healthy on the outside. I was shocked that I had 12 good 'saveable' teeth remaining and everything else would have to be bridged or totally removed. I was only in pain once the five years I put off going to the dentist, and the only 2 teeth to suffer their partial failures where ones that had been drilled half away already when I was younger.

At this point of things, neither option you have is a really pleasant. One involves multiple surgeries, and the remaining teeth are still susceptible to what killed the first ones. The second involves one surgery if your are lucky, one more if things go 'normal' two at worst.

I got two but need three.


Step 2: We can't schedule you for 5 months
I was getting this done through a state assistance program. The state itself did not run the program, opting for a 'smaller government' and hiring a private company to run the operation of social services.

Whoever says freeloading off the state is the life has obviously never had to depend on a private company working for the state or federal government for a god damn thing.
Because they run off grants, they have to schedule patients as they can be afforded. I got told the 'good news' in February and started the extractions in late May. Before that it took 4 months to see a dentist. To get into the program, go to the dentist for the initial and any follow up visits, I have to drive an hour one way. Twice they've given me the wrong time and cancelled on me when I've shown up. To get the actual extractions done, I had to drive 2 and a half hours to get to the state funded hospital*

Other people's experience is going to go different here. You'll going to go to the dentist in 20 years after not going for 15, and you'll get the same talk. If you're lucky and have good insurance, they can do the 'all at once' surgery. If you're 1:broke as fuck 2&3:have normal dental insurance and no way to generate 3k for the extractions, 4:unfortunate enough to be on medicaid for some reason; this awaits you.

Step 3: The Dental College
You know it's going to be a good surgery when your doctor is talking about hunting and titties with the nurse when putting you under. It has the effect of a warm snuggly blanket. *
Sure it's a dental college, and it's a real doctor. They don't let the trainees do the government surgeries, because then the state could be held liable for ordering the procedure in the event of a fuck up. That means their doctoral staff does all the work!
Don't worry about why he's working for a college or looks the exact same age as you working at the equivalent of an entry level dentist job.

Spoiler: show

Then, when you wake up because your metabolism ate through the legal amount of anesthesia a person in your weight class can be given before they where done pulling all your teeth; don't worry about the noise that sounds like tree's being knocked over coming from inside your head.

It's a real doctor, which means he's fucked up far, far worse on people who paid for it both figuratively and literally. But it means that you'll have to come back in 6 weeks because your top gums have to heal and because again, the schedule depends on the funds available.

*These aren't gripes, I'd happily drive 5 hours to have work done at 'not a hospital in East Texas'. Especially not a hillbilly dental college.

Step 4: 8 weeks later..
...because the doctor got sick the day of your first appointment, the bottom teeth come out. No fun happend on this visit, other than they got an anesthesiologist to keep me drugged this time who was a hot ginger bear.

I dropped to 150 lbs after the top teeth came out due to the decrease in calories per day. My food costs dropped from 400 to 500 $ a month to 150, 200$.

6 weeks after that the dentist cancelled my appointment 2 days before because they ran out of grant money and had to wait 3 weeks for the start of the fiscal year in September. Then they couldn't see me until mid September.

Step 5: No teeth and getting Teeth
Now I know everyone who's read up to this part is wondering:

How did you eat?

I didn't really. At my lowest I dropped to 135, with a 27" waist. I got pneumonia when it happened at couldn't keep anything down for 2 days.

The things I get down where soup, bread, rice, peanut butter, and the softer TV dinners. Your gums get super sensitive, and since they have a greater area you notice when things are unpleasant more. Imagine getting a chip stuck the wrong way between your gum and cheek, except over the entire lower part of your mouth.
Now watching them make the things was interesting. First you have a mold of your mouth taken. If you've ever had braces, it is very similar. Because you're gums are so tender, when you have to bite into the mold it could feel like the single worst dental pain you've ever experienced, even worse than the 2 impacted teeth. They can't half-ass the mold either, if it doesn't fit right the teeth won't and will be useless.

You have to go back again to get a fitting, where they use a wax mold from the impressions to make adjustments. This is where you learn that not all the pieces of teeth got removed 5-4 months ago. When they remove the teeth, small fragments get left behind in the bloody mess. Many are picked out by the doctor, but some linger under the surface of the gum line. The dentures will rest on these and rub them down to the bone, until they work themselves free or wear down the bone to a comfortable fit.

Speaking of pain, the first week with dentures will be a nightmare of biting your tongue, getting tired from talking, not being able to chew anything at all, no matter how soft and taking small triumphs in foods missed.

Bacon was a holy experience the first time I had it again. I've forgotten what so many things tasted like thanks to my diet that everything tastes different and new. I also suspect it's because chewing works fundamentally different with false teeth and you're much more aware of what is going on inside your mouth.


As for the original question:
Denture's help you train your body to suppress your gag reflex.

[Ddz]

Why did your teeth rot initially? Did you not brush or floss ever? Just curious.

[Apelila]

Genetics for the initial blow, then lack of preventative care from 2008 onward.
Absolutely fucking terrified of going to the dentist. Like holy shit I hate going to the dentist, it is a scary scary scary fucking thing.

Also not having the 2-300$ to drop for a few years there to get some small things fixed w/o insurance didn't help.
Edit: The biggest thing was the meds I take - they lower bone density. So instead of finding out that was happening by shattering a femur, I found out through this.

[Nirokun!]

I havent been to the dentist in 3 years because I came off of my parents' insurance and none of my jobs thusfar have provided anything. I WILL GO have that appointment when I get back from Thailand. Holy crap. Sending you hugs!

[Kalmado]

That's a crazy story and I feel for you. My stepfather is going to have to get a similar procedure done soon as basically all of his teeth have rotted. I myself haven't had a visit to the dentist in four years and on the surface haven't had any issues but I know I need to go.

As far as the money goes, when I had insurance I went for my checkup and the dentist freaks out saying I have to get 2 crowns/root canals immediately or I'm going to lose these teeth. One of the cited teeth was one I had chipped about 5 years prior and while it had been recommended to have something done to it, my previous dentists didn't freak out like this guy. Maybe it's being paranoid, but I felt at that time it was a money grab.

[Apelila]

I'd get like a check up at a dental college or something They're cheap and aren't in it for the money. I know, my experience sounds like hell but I don't blame the people, they screwed up the least.

When my tooth rotted, I went from no pain to what can only described as being injected with Satan's piss then back to no pain over the period of 2 weeks when my first tooth went.

[Cream Soda]

I haven't been to the dentist in 11 or 12 years, 6th grade and I'm uninsured. All I know is if I ever get tooth pain and don't have any money saved, then just fucking deal with it cause I'm not gonna get that kind of run around.

Sorry to hear man, that fucking sucks balls

[Rhyis.]

A years worth of toothpaste: 20 dollars
A yearly check up with your dentist: 150 dollars
The ability to deepthroat for the rest of your life: Priceless

[Odin'sLaw]

A years worth of toothpaste: 20 dollars
A yearly check up with your dentist: 150 dollars
The ability to deepthroat for the rest of your life: Priceless

apprently it cost him nothing besides his teeth (or 3.5k stright up if he paid huzzah) i went to my dentist a week ago told me my teeth are fine even tho i know i have a hole in one of my molars i told him about it and he said "i didn't even notice it oh well" that worried me a lot more then i needed to be since last time i saw him he gave me 4 fillings :/

[Boyiee]

Holy shit what a fucking story. BG, you crazy.

I was off insurance for a couple of years, 2 maybe 3 tops, until Obama's thing kicked in where kids were insured longer THANKS OBAMA. Ended up only having like 2-3 cavities luckily. My mom has the bad teeth in the family and has been told several times that she needs like 10k+ worth of work done, I'm so happy I didn't get her teeth. At least as far as I know. My family knows how terrifying the dentist is, sorry you had to go through that.

I've had a nasty infection this last week or two, having a 102+ fever for 90 hours straight. My throat was a disaster, and it actually caused my gums to swell to the point where they bleed every time I brush for the last 3-4 days. It's finally returning to normal, but it was a really scary moment. Bleeding from not flossing regularly is one thing, bleeding from brushing is frightening.

[Rhyis.]

apprently it cost him nothing besides his teeth

:/
That's the fucking joke.

[Callisto]

My teeth are pretty messed myself, but I did just get insurance, I hate to capitalize on your misfortune but this is pretty fucking eye-opening and holy shit I'm finding a new dentist and booking my appointments asap.

I appreciate you sharing your story.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be off flossing for the next few hours.

[Milkster]

Don't worry, the mods are in on it. Isn't that right Calli... Oh, wait.

[Callisto]

It's okay, none of his new teeth are gold so none of the crazy brown people from there will try to steal them

[Qalbert]

amusingly I am pretty sure you can eat Spam without teeth

[Churchill]

lol

[Ksandra]

O.o;

afk making a dentist app....


Also, my husband has the worst teeth on the planet. It takes care of them like a million times more than I do, yet he's constantly needing crowns n' shit. I keep telling him he should get them all pulled and get dentures to save time/money lolol.

[Pirian]

Brush twice a day and floss once, plus bi-annual dental checkups. I have pretty good self-hygiene, but I really don't know how people can stand not brushing twice a day. If I am away from home for a longer period of time than planned (I bring a toothbrush/toothpaste if I am staying somewhere), then I can feel my teeth getting gritty and disgusting with plaque. My gf is bad about brushing, and I absolutely will not kiss her unless I know she's brushed. Makes me feel like a hooker when we fuck because she'll go to kiss me and I'll flat out say "Uh uh, no tongue"

[Callisto]

alcohol can go a long way towards falling asleep without brushing, it's the leading cause of morning doodoo-mouth

[Pirian]

Even after a long night of drinking I always remember to do at least a quick brush, lol. I never get black-out drunk, though

off topic kinda, but related to drinking:

Spoiler: show