[Erin524]

Went to the dentist today to get four more amalgam fillings removed. (only two more left to go!)

Two of the four teeth that I had done today were in such bad shape, that I was afraid they wouldnt last till summertime. My dentist shocked heck out of me when she said they were coming apart from the amalgam fillings cracking them, but there was NO INFECTION that she could see in any of the four teeth she did. They were just falling apart.

So hopefully, I wont have a repeat of the exacerbations that I had the last two times I had major dental work done. (and if I do...how happy am I that I have a neuro appointment already scheduled for April 1st)

I feel so much better with newly repaired teeth, and I dont feel so scared that they'll get an infection and set off some horrible MS thing.

Yay!

I am sad that I probably wont be able to use my head as an antenna for my car alarm remote anymore to turn off my car alarm from half a block away.

Just two more amalgam fillings (and one ancient composite filling) to get fixed now, and I'll have mostly healthy teeth again. No more metal in my mouth! yay!

Now I can start saving up my pennies to get the special non-metallic braces to straighten my lower front teeth and then get veneers so that I'll have nice looking teeth again. (this stuff is expensive as heck...might not be able to afford that) At least soon, I wont have any more mercury fillings and wont be so worried that the amalgam might have been causing my MS problems (more likely it was dental infections causing the MS crap)


Everyone, take care of your teeth. All of the medications we take for MS are destructive/damaging to our teeth...(according to my dentist) She's been reading up on MS since I became her patient and she's going to help me keep my mouth as healthy as it can be so it wont be a cause for the MS going wonko on me again. (I'm blaming rampant dental infections for the two big exacerbations I had in 2006)

[Dejibo]

What is your drug of choice for MS?

I am on copaxone, and since starting, I have had such aches periodically on the gum line of my left side teeth. The dentist says there is nothing wrong. he has cleaned, and xrayed them. the pocket depth is 2 on all sides, and no cavities or infections. I just cant help but think its not co incidence that I started C and my teeth started hurting.

[Erin524]

I take Copaxone too.

My dentist told me that a lot of the symptom management drugs that we take can dry your mouth out, which can cause gum problems and cavities. Things like baclofen, and certain pain medications.

I think I few of the other meds would be insomnia medications like Ambien and amitriptyline, a lot of the antidepressents that people take for insomnia or depression.

So, now I guess I have to really pay a lot more attention to the health of my teeth. (I havent been the best at taking care of my teeth for the past few years)

I'm sitting here this morning, surprised at just how good I feel now after getting things fixed yesterday. I had not realized just how bad I was feeling (more of an uncomfortable feeling than an actual sick feeling) from having several teeth that had been cracked by amalgam fillings that expanded and contracted with the hot and cold food that I eat.

One of my molars feels like a brand new tooth to me because I had been able to feel the cracks in it with my tongue and fingernails. Anytime I ate anything with sugar or something acidic, it hurt. A lot!

Last night I ate dinner without my tooth hurting me like it had been. (the 4 or 5 injection sites from the anesthetic yesterday hurt like crazy tho) I can drink cold pop now without having to channel the cold pop past my teeth with my tongue.

The temperature sensitivity is so reduced now that I think I can eat ice cream again...(I think I'm having ice cream from Dairy Queen for lunch today)

I'm just really surprised and kind of kicking myself for not getting the cracked teeth fixed earlier, (the other two teeth I had worked on yesterday were done because the amalgam was discoloring my teeth and I wanted it out because the dentist thought it had a high mercury content)

I have white teeth again! (well, whiter than they were) I'm excited about that, I cant wait to show my boyfriend. I think now I wont feel so self concious about smiling at him.

My dad said he might pay for the special Invisalign braces to straighten my teeth. (two of my lower front teeth are only slightly crooked...exactly like my dad's two teeth in the same spot) I have to see how much it'll cost to do that. It's just those two front teeth and maybe one of my incisors that need to be straightened. The rest of my teeth are naturally straight, but I need the dentist to look and see what exactly would need to be done to get those front teeth straightened.

My dad said he kind of ignored getting my teeth straightened when I was a kid. My sister's teeth were really crooked and he'd gotten her braces and spent tons of money on orthodontists for her when she was a teenager, and I guess he was in sticker shock for how much all that cost.

Since my dentist I had when I was a kid told him that my only problem was the two crooked teeth in front and wisdom teeth that were coming in upside down and sideways. He only had me get the wisdom teeth taken out and kind of just left it at that. I always wondered why he didnt make me go to an orthodontist like my sister, but I had/still have a dentist phobia and just didnt push the issue either.

I'm just all excited now that my molars are white again, and now I dont have to worry about the structural integrity of those two cracked teeth any more. I feel so much better just for that...and surprised that I hadnt realized that my teeth were really hurting me a lot before I got them fixed yesterday.

I really do think that my teeth might have been what caused my MS to show up when it did. Now all I have to do is get those last 3 fillings fixed on the other side of my lower jaw. I dont think those teeth are bad, but I'm having them done because there are two amalgams on that side, and I want them out so that all my teeth look white.

I think I'm going to miss being able to use my head as an antenna to turn my car alarm on and off from half a block away, but wow...I just hadnt realized how bad my teeth had been making me feel. I feel great this morning! I do have a pulled muscle in my jaw, and the places where she injected the novocaine hurt, but nothing like I'd been feeling before she fixed the teeth.

I'm going to go buy a new toothbrush today and have ice cream for lunch.

[Judy2]

ACCCCCKKKK!!!! I hate the dentist/torture chamber!!!! But it is a necessary evil if you want to hang on to your teeth as long as possible. Congratulations on going through it!!!!

[Thumper2]

I was told to drink lots and lots of water with all the meds I'm on. I'm glad you got through it. How was the ice cream?

[SallyC]

Glad all went well for you, Erin.

I used to brag about my strong healthy teeth, before MS and the Meds. I don't know which one weakened, cracked and broke all my teeth...MS or the meds, but, now, I have very few of my own teeth left.

I brushed flossed and took good care of my teeth and As angry as it makes me, to have lost them.., I guess it's a blessing, because I don't have to worry about them anymore...LOL!

[Erin524]

I felt great the day after seeing the dentist, now I'm feeling like crap.

All the sore spots in my mouth from getting things fixed up are now starting to hurt...and now I think it may be waking up the MS a little bit. (dizzy and one foot feels numb this morning, and I just dont feel good)

I'm glad that I went to the dentist and got stuff fixed, but it always seems like it takes me a while to recover. I was so hoping that I wouldnt feel crappy after having things done. darnit!

At least I dont feel like someone has broken bones in my face like I did last spring the first time I had that dentist work on some teeth. Took me most of the summer to recover from that one. I do feel like someone clocked me in the jaw with brass knuckles tho...owwwie.

I hate going to the dentist. At least for anything involving drills and novocaine. (bad experience with a dentist when I was very little gave me a phobia)

[karousel]

I replaced a few fillings but have about 4 teeth left. Thing is I can't afford the dentist and new eye glasses at the same time. So my teeth will have to wait.

I'm glad you have gotten yours done and I'm envious. Someday I need to just go and have them done - no more reasons and other bills, they need to be done.