All the teeth that needed to come out are gone and I only have five teeth left on the bottom. Now, it’s waiting until the end of March to take the first step towards my new teeth by making an impression of my gums. I hate the way I look and sound and the waiting/healing period is taking it’s toll on me mentally.
I thought the hardest part would have been the actual extractions but I was wrong. This is the hardest part, waiting for my mouth to heal. I could have had dentures immediately but doing it that way often results in ill fitting dentures which is not ideal. They take an impression of your teeth and make and educated guess as to where your soft tissue will end up whereas if you wait for your mouth to heal before taking an impression it will be more exact and you’ll have better fitting dentures. Choosing to wait has proven more difficult than I had anticipated.
I feel ugly, like I look ridiculous. I don’t know if you’ve ever watched Looney Toons but there is an English bulldog in some of the Tweety and Sylvester cartoons; and this bulldog has only his two bottom canine teeth sticking out and up. That’s what I think I look like every time I open my mouth because my two canines are the only teeth visible. I worry about people judging me based upon my appearance.
I don’t really want to show my face in public but staying home for two months straight is unrealistic. I still need to take the dog out for walks and run errands. It’s inevitable that I will run into people and be forced to talk. I keep my head down hoping they don’t notice my missing teeth. I try to avoid smiling or laughing with my mouth open.
If I had to choose the emotion I felt strongest it would be shame. I’m too young for this, it’s my own fault, there’s no reason this should be happening, etc… these thoughts invade my mind constantly and I battle them daily. I counter attack with the facts; genetics; medication; depression; smoking; and a chocolate addiction all played a part in my losing my teeth.
Finding things I can eat comfortably is no picnic (see what I did there?). I never thought I’d see the day where I would be sick of chocolate ice cream. I’m more or less on a soft food diet until I get my new teeth, which really sucks. I definitely won’t be eating any steak anytime soon.
I try to be optimistic and keep in mind that I will have a beautiful, perfect smile by the time it’s all done but it’s a challenge. It helps to have all of my denture fitting appointments already booked so I know what the schedule looks like and how long the process should take.My final check on the dentures is booked for the end of May so the process to make and fit the dentures takes about two months. That’s four months in total if you include the extractions and healing period. So in the meantime, I guess I’ll keep trying to stay positive until I have a gorgeous smile.
My Phoenix Rising 