We went and had our mouth deep cleaned and two left uppers pulled...and the most I can remember about it is I felt dissed out, there but not.

The dentist kept chatting away and none of it really sank in. They gave me a couple of local anesthesia shots and started working at cleaning and extractions.

I just remember bits and pieces and just nodding my head not saying much because I wasn’t exactly there all dazed up.

They said I did a good job for I am able to shut off pain...I mean it will hurt but the memory of it hurting will get buried so I ain’t bothered about it.

It’s so embarrassing having bad teeth, I mean they see but don’t know why. They don’t know about the 18 years of terror I lived, the c-ptsd, dissociative issues, years of self-destructiveness to ending it all by “accidental overdose”....but we kept living. Now that the fire has died out over time and I’m now just living....the evidence is accusational.

So I told the assistant I had memory problems stemming from child abuse...so I kept forgetting to fix my teeth once the pain was gone. I felt a little better.

This was the left side....next week we do the right side...then 4 root canals.
This immediate momentary pain isn’t anywhere near what Ive lived through...so it’s nothing but a thing.

NEXT!

[Wild Coyote]

I have a very difficult time staying grounded when having dental work done.
It's worse if the procedures take long.

The anesthetic injections (the epinephrine) gives me the shakes and adds to feeling dissociated, I believe.


WC

[Amyjay]

We are lucky to have a special way to deal with unavoidable medical and dental procedures. I like that you were open with the dental assistant about your trauma history. I do think that can help some people be a little more understanding.
Good luck for next week.

Originally Posted by Wild Coyote

I have a very difficult time staying grounded when having dental work done.
It's worse if the procedures take long.

The anesthetic injections (the epinephrine) gives me the shakes and adds to feeling dissociated, I believe.


WC

It felt like forever.

Originally Posted by Amyjay

We are lucky to have a special way to deal with unavoidable medical and dental procedures. I like that you were open with the dental assistant about your trauma history. I do think that can help some people be a little more understanding.
Good luck for next week.

Being open was not easy for I’ve never done it before...but so tired of being looked and judged by singletons. We’re very uneasy about being truthful to outing our mental make-up. I didn’t mention the DID, but do have Dissociative disorders (basically go look it up no lecture coming here).

We get feelings of being embarrassed of ourselves. Hoping that it gets easier, but history dictates not.

[Loose Screw x 2]

Dan, the host has a fear of dentists because of things that he heard a brother say as a child. If he goes to a dentist, he has to avoid caffeine because it agitates his fears and makes him nervous.
He's terrified of the drill and has had a few bad experiences with some dentists. He has to concentrate very hard and force himself to relax. He also doesn't like being told to lay down prior to an extraction for fear of chocking on pieces of teeth. Dan wants AlwaysChanging2 to know that he has had many teeth pulled as well and has a broken-off bottom molar that has sharp edges that irritate his tongue when chewing.

Originally Posted by Loose Screw x 2

Dan, the host has a fear of dentists because of things that he heard a brother say as a child. If he goes to a dentist, he has to avoid caffeine because it agitates his fears and makes him nervous.
He's terrified of the drill and has had a few bad experiences with some dentists. He has to concentrate very hard and force himself to relax. He also doesn't like being told to lay down prior to an extraction for fear of chocking on pieces of teeth. Dan wants AlwaysChanging2 to know that he has had many teeth pulled as well and has a broken-off bottom molar that has sharp edges that irritate his tongue when chewing.

Well dang it Dan, you need to get that shiit fixed. We got almost no top teeth and a few missing bttons. Next week the rest of the top. Nuttin but a thing.

[Loose Screw x 2]

Originally Posted by AlwaysChanging2

Well dang it Dan, you need to get that shiit fixed. We got almost no top teeth and a few missing bttons. Next week the rest of the top. Nuttin but a thing.

We are down to 16 and a half teeth and depend on our front teeth, two canines and two premolars to chew everything.
We wish to have all of the teeth pulled and outfitted with false teeth so that we can enjoy full chewing pleasure again.
We miss that and Dan misses it a lot. Dan loves eating.
When Dan was young he ate very fast but, with so few teeth now his chewing seems to take forever. He misses being able to chew steak and lightly steamed broccoli.

Originally Posted by Loose Screw x 2

We are down to 16 and a half teeth and depend on our front teeth, two canines and two premolars to chew everything.
We wish to have all of the teeth pulled and outfitted with false teeth so that we can enjoy full chewing pleasure again.
We miss that and Dan misses it a lot. Dan loves eating.
When Dan was young he ate very fast but, with so few teeth now his chewing seems to take forever. He misses being able to chew steak and lightly steamed broccoli.

Yeah, I was on the same wants. The dentist told me though that it’s better to save the bottoms because lower dentures click and pop around because they have nothing to grab to while the top has the palate.

So we are rebuilding our lowers and has 2 tooth’s left to pull on top.

Entire procedure is about $2700.00, and we applied for a health credit card Care Credit to help payments. If paid off in 18 months, no interests charged. That’s like $130.00 a month.

Of course, she said if I did implants, I’d have to have 6 lower implants to bridge on, costs $35,000.00. Okay...let me start saving today...get back to ya when I’m half past dead! Lol.

Care Credit can be used on participating providers, prescriptions, and even vets. Cleo our Chi needs oral surgery at $500.00 next month.

I wonder though if I can see a therapist? Gotta check it out.

Went to get the other part done today....and found out that there was more then spoken. I asked for worse case scenario and they said $25,000.00 for the whole kit and kaboodle. Lol

So much for a new truck.

Go back in a month for another plan. Tuna fish sandwiches forever. Lol.

[Wild Coyote]

I am also using Care Credit for now.

Went back in today. Had a temporary bridge break.
The bridge is in response to solving a dental emergency.

I lose it in there. We are not done yet. Uggh!


WC

Originally Posted by Wild Coyote

I am also using Care Credit for now.

Went back in today. Had a temporary bridge break.
The bridge is in response to solving a dental emergency.

I lose it in there. We are not done yet. Uggh!


WC

Yep. I got a CC bill now, but I’m not going to let the high cost deter me. We have a steady job now...this is doable.

If it weren’t for childhood, it wouldn’t have been this way.

Childhood abuse affects a person for life and we spend tons of money trying to fix ourselves.

[Wild Coyote]

I am trying to stick with it, too.

Thanks for your insights.


WC

Hee hee...I can’t eat French fries or anything rubbery like potato or ham...

I aint got no top teeth....still eat burgers...still eat my diet except no salad due to hard fresh vegetables- gonna get a blender...the bullet?

I lost 5 pounds....yay!

No junk food, high calorie snacking...

I’ve been eating noodle stews for dinner before...so it’s all about the same and good!