UK Teeth

I’m getting to the age where my body is starting to break down. After years of partial neglect and walking into walls, my teeth can’t take it anymore!

Neglect…and stupidity

My relationship with the dentist had a bit of a breakdown a few years back.

They hurt me…bad! This caused a mental and physical reaction whenever we met. They changed, but that trust never came back.

While that relationship was frayed, I tried to stand on my own two feet.

I went through the everyday rituals, but other bad habits affected it.

I used to smoke, which is never good, so I was prone to gum disease. This meant that gingivitis and I had a long-term relationship, that I didn’t really want to get into.

No matter how much I brushed my teeth, it felt like it was always a losing battle!

Then just to make sure, the day-to-day rituals weren’t good enough for fucking up my teeth, general life choices also decided to join the party.

Piercings

I have been known to get a piercing or two, some of which are no longer part of me anymore.

I’ve had piercings that affected my teeth/gums!

I had my labret piercing for years. And I loved it, but I just felt like it ages badly, so I removed it.

I also had my tongue pierced, which again I loved. I had this piercing for over 20 years, but during lockdown I removed it.

The dentist confirmed that both piercings, as well as gum disease, would have helped with the gum erosion!

Drunk antics

Okay, it is not big or clever, but Drunk Mike has made a few appearances through the years.

Generally, he causes no harm. However, he has been known to cause some damage which has included stitches and black eyes.

Drunk Mike has been known to walk into a few walls/pillars!

On one occasion, I turned a little too early and face-planted a wall!

In the process, I broke my two front teeth. I didn’t lose them and they were still useable, but the dentist had informed me that they would need to come out soon.

Those front teeth fought a fight, for over 15 years. However, the last battle was upon us and it was time to say goodbye.

The final ‘fight’

Recently, I have been experiencing a bit of lockjaw, and when it unlocks my teeth have been banging against each other.

The last time it happened, I heard an almighty crack and a sharp pain. It was then I knew, things had fucked up!

You know that it’s gone tits up when you can’t even finish your burger because the pain is unbearable!

It was then, that I knew that the time had come for me to say goodbye to the teeth.

The Dentist

I knew exactly what was going to be said when I sat in the dentist’s chair…my two front teeth would need to be extracted!

But then I had questions and concerns. Apart from the cost, even on the NHS, this isn’t going to be a cheap process. So what can be done to resolve them for as little as possible?

There are two things that I have been conscious of when it comes to my teeth.

Firstly, the straightness of my teeth, including a large gap that has since appeared. While removing the 2 front teeth will resolve some of the issues, the gap would still be there. What could be done to resolve that?

A simple one really, remove that with the other two. It’s slightly loose anyway.

Finally, the colour of my existing teeth. This has always been on the table that I wanted to fix, as I don’t like it.

So to prevent having to replace my denture once they were whitened, it was agreed that my new teeth will be a few shades lighter, so after the teeth whitening treatment they will match.

With all my questions answered, it was time to get the ball rolling.

To be honest, I wasn’t bothered about losing the teeth. It’s been on the table for a while, and I have had pain with them on and off for years, so it feels like a relief to finally get them out.

The fact is, having them removed was quick and painless. It was the hygienist clean that was the most painful experience. It always is.

The days after

I’m surprised at how quickly I recovered. I honestly thought I would be in more pain and discomfort. But it wasn’t that bad.

Yes, I struggled to eat at the beginning, but that would be expected since my gums were still sensitive since my teeth were ripped out! However, that will improve as time goes on.

However, the biggest issue was removing them at the end of the night. There is a part of the plate, that rubs against my gums and it feels like it’s tearing it. I will speak to the dentist when I am next there.

With the lighter shade of fake teeth, I have been more conscious of how discoloured my actual teeth are/ However, I know that this is only going to be a temporary measure as I start the teeth whitening treatment in April.

The weeks after

The sensitivity has calmed down after the gum has healed, and it is easier to eat. Still feels weird trying to bite food with the front teeth!

It has become clear that there are just some foods that I won’t eat anymore, such as toffee, but that is cool.

I have also noticed that when I do it, and food gets stuck in my fake gums, it’s harder to unpick. Who would have thought?

The placing and removal of the dentures are a lot easier now. It doesn’t hurt as much while doing it.

However, occasionally I suffer from some pain in the gums where it rubs, so Bonjella has become my new friend!

As the gum has healed, I feel like it has left a small gap between the denture and gums, and while I am conscious about it (more about food getting stuck), it is not as noticeable as the gap previously.

Overall, I am happy with how the new teeth look.

So why the share?

I have always felt that there is a sense of shame about wearing dentures. Why should that be the case?

People share when they have had their Turkey Teeth, so why is it any different from when we get UK Teeth?

When you get veneers or caps, these are basically falsies. So why should having a denture have a more negative connotation?

I am happy that I am started to get my teeth to look a lot more presentable. And in the process, the extra confidence it will bring.

I am not happy with the cost, but oh well!