It's one more aftermath of the trip-over accident I had six months ago, breaking my left arm (now, thankfully 95% mended), taking a minor fracture to upper right jaw (no treatment merited, though can still feel it - but no pain) - and then losing the first of the two incisors, the second coming out only night-before-last in my sleep, again painlessly.
In Feb made visit to my latest National Health Service dentist - it's still a major problem in this country just trying to find one which will take patients like me who can't afford private treatment.
This particular practice I found has turned out to be rather unsatisfactory, as well as being far away and hard to visit by public transport, my also not being able to afford a taxi. After negotiating the (too) quietly-speaking receptionist, the dentist himself turned out to be Indian, which itself was quite fine by me, but his English wasn't easy to comprehend - and he even spoke Hindi to his assistant as he went through my teeth one by one, telling her what to note down. Then when that examination was over (at that stage just one of my incisors was missing) he said something like "They'll all have to come out!" which surprised me as I thought the lower set were fine as well as the upper side sets. Then he chuntered on in matter-of-fact manner about my having to make an appointment for major extraction - and I caught the phrase "Very painful". At this stage I was reeling a bit from his news, but I did go ahead with arranging a date some weeks henceforward from then - but the one who'd being doing the extracting also had an Asian-sounding name (another Indian?) so would he know about, understand and allow for the jaw fracture? Or could he exacerbate the already present damage? Maybe my worry was misplaced but I was becoming very seriously concerned.
On getting back home and reflecting, I wondered did the dentist mean having all my teeth out, top and bottom, or just the upper set, which itself would have been more than I'd expected? So I telephoned back, but the young lady who answered was herself speaking in halting English with, once more, an Indian lilt - and we just could not understand each other. "So you want to have all your teeth removed?" she asked. "NO!" I almost shouted "I don't want to have any taken out if I possible!" After further confusion I gave up and put the phone down.
So as at now, with that even further gaping space in front, and having cancelled the extraction appointment, I still don't know what the situation is. Worry is - has that particular dentist given up on me? Have I been removed from their client list after all the trouble I'd had of finding one at all? Can only wait and see.
However, as long as there's no pain, and I can continue to eat, even bite, with hardly any problem - and I don't have to open my mouth wide when speaking to anyone (I only need to talk with someone face-to-face maybe just once in a month - or even less)......and I'm not likely to administer a B.J. to anyone in the near future - or, very possibly, ever again(!), I can get along quite fine with the rest of my truly necessary 'oral activities', thank you.
So that's the more recent of my losses. The other one, now having happened a couple of months ago (and which I really ought to have posted about earlier) cuts me rather deeper, concerning which I'll now start to write for my next post, for posting either later today or, if not, tomorrow.........
Oh, Ray. I'm so sorry this has been such a nightmare for you. My teeth are terrible. With all the meds Ive been on, they're very difficult to keep healthy.Despite a strict and consistent brushing and flossing routine, I've had multiple extractions, and now have 3 bridges. No fun, not cheap, and our dental insurance sounds almost as bad as yours.I hope, somehow, you are able to find a dentist that is good and affordable (and with whom you can communicate more clearly,)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts. I really had no idea of your own troubles in that area.
DeleteI'd been looking for a dentist for YEARS when someone had suggested this current (problematic) one for me. It's now striking me as a possible reason for them being able to take me on is that so many had left them for another practice - thus giving them space for new clients. So I'm back to square one!
Well thankfully I still have all my teeth, but as I've gotten older my dentist says, and I've always had, for some reason, more than normal tartar build up. Eventually it does affect my teeth as I've had more cavities and had to get feelings. I swear, since I have a substantial amount in my HSA account, I told him I thought about getting all my teeth pulled and having implants put in. If I was missing teeth I think I'd be too self-conscious.
ReplyDeleteAnd dear, Never Say Never. You never know when one of those BJ's is going to come up! Now I don't mean to be gross, but two summers ago I was up at the Woods campground in the Pocono Mts and I saw a gentleman approach a young guy with BJ. And I ever heard him tell the young guy, that he would take his false teeth out first. I can't lie that gave me a good chuckle.
Until my present situation, my dental condition had been fair-to-good - just a couple each of extractions and fillings. Some decades ago when I went to a new/different dentist from my regular he suggested that my teeth need cleaning to lessen the visual effect of "excessive smoking", when I had NEVER smoked in my entire life. When I told him so he changed that to "too much coffee and/or tea". Sometimes you just can't win! (So I gave up arguing).
DeleteYes, that taking out of false teeth before getting a B.J. is always a ripe one for jokes. I hope that young guy in the woods that you witnessed wasn't put off by his would-be 'friend' removing his dentures. For me it would have been an opportunity to good to have turned away from.
Once in Amsterdam, at one of those wild 'parties' one attends (an orgy, in fact) - you'll know what I'm referring to - a guy was on his knees working vigorously on me. Then, me putting my hands on the top of his head, his wig/toupee came off leaving him totally bald. He was clearly put out by my 'discovery', though it hadn't really mattered that much to me, even if it had rather killed the moment for him. I sometimes think if, instead of the hair, he'd pulled away, leaving a set of dentures around me!
LMAO!!!! I swear!!!!! Now that was a good one! And yes, the young guy took it in stride and didn't seem put off at all, after all, he was being serviced well, so I heard. I swear, we should all write our sordid stories or otherwise down and compile all our stories into one very funny book. You just know Squire John has some good ones. I would probably laugh till I...well, you can guess what.
DeleteM.M. - Yes, JayGee is undoubtedly King of the witty and concise anecdote, and his alone could constitute a very read-worthy book. (Chuckle, chuckle!)
DeleteThe dentist didn’t tell you WHY all your teeth will have to come out? How bizarre. I would have canceled the appointment, too. However, that’s the pits that there’s no progress on the ONE you were there for.
ReplyDeleteI can't honestly say that he DIDN'T give me the reason for such major extractions, Mitch. Trouble is that with his accent and rapid talk I just couldn't understand three-quarters or more of what he said. Not a good position to be in when such action would hugely effect the life of someone or ANY client depending on his expertise and opinion. I only wish I had a more sympathetic and, indeed, trustworthy dentist.
DeleteThat is horrendous. I just cannot imagine why on earth you would have to have all your teeth removed. My husband's teeth are terrible from a lifetime of smoking but he has hung on to them. We too couldn't find an NHS dentist after covid lock down and had to go to our local private one. We have found that the cost isn't much different but the service is wonderful and better than I have ever experienced at NHS dentist. You could sign on to a private dentist and see what they say on your first appointment and then if further treatment is too expensive you could have a rethink and it is truly hopeless to have a dentist you can't understand. Please don't give up and don't let them take your teeth out without a second opinion. I so feel for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol. Even at NHS price levels, and assuming that the treatment I need(?) would be at the maximum allowed, it would still right now be beyond my reach. I've looked on the internet at what private dental charges are like and (no surprise!) there's no way I could afford them either. Yes, you're right - I do badly need a second opinion as to what is the best and most affordable - but how to get it? As long as I'm having no pain or discomfort, at present my priorities on a very limited budget have to be in entirely dfferent directions.
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