Bryanna, I don't know what to think anymore. I really liked the lady dentist but she did seem to be always in a hurry which I didn't like. More later. Tom

Bryanna, Update. The three teeth are now out. They called this morning and said they could do it today. Went pretty good. He had to put stitches in only one, #14.

I just hope I don't have any trouble because the crown next to #31 came off when he was trying to extract that tooth. I told him to check real good and make sure no cavities were there and he did. Said it looked great and and all was good so he put it back on. I told him to use 15 year glue because that's probably all the time I have left anyway

He did say that he could not have saved the tooth #19 that already had the root canal done years ago so I made the right call on that one. I think I made the right call on all three and as these crowns get old I probably will have more teeth removed. Next time I may just have them take the rest of them out and get dentures. : or go toothless ( I had forgot what it felt like to have teeth removed . Not to good Now to decide what to put in these three missing teeth place. Removable partial ?? what you think ?

Before long when I go to bed instead of brushing my teeth I will just tell my wife I got to brush my tooth lol Your friend always. Toothless Tom

Hi Tom,

Glad to hear that the teeth are out and you're doing okay.
Make sure to follow the post op instructions to the "T". Also a soft food diet for the next week or two if possible. Your mouth and jaw has been through a lot so the less you have to chew for the next week or two the better.

The crown on the adjacent tooth to #31 probably came off because the cement had given out and the crown was bound to fall off. So it's a good thing that it came out when it did and the tooth looked okay. Now it's cemented back on for another several years... hopefully

I think you should try to keep your healthy teeth for as long as possible. Taking good care of them at home and getting cleanings 2 times a year would be ideal. You may or may not be a candidate for removable partial dentures. So talk with him about that.

I'm glad to see that you have kept your sense of humor throughout this whole ordeal. I think your persistence in getting things done and your strong intuitive sense has lead you down a positive path and you will be fine.

Please keep me posted on how you're doing.
Bryanna ~'.'~

Could not have made the right decision with our Bryanna. Its strange but I was good friends with my new dentists Dad. His Dad and I played lots of golf together when I worked at the course I retired from. He told me 20 years ago he was not sure about all these root canals that were being forced on people and this was over 20 years ago he mentioned that. He didn't believe in them and told me like you did its better to get the infected tooth out ASAP. I remember him telling me when you kill the nerves sooner or later the tooth is going with it at a later time. Just buying time and spending money the way I see it. I know maybe some have success with root canals but in my case they have always turned out bad. THANKS again and I will keep up updated. I am hungry now but will go to bed that way. Tom

I wonder how long I will have blood in my mouth when I wake up? It actually got on my pillow last night. It has been almost 48 hours and I was thinking the bleeding should have stopped by now ? After I washed my mouth when I got up and I brushed my teeth , used the salt water thing and no blood so far this morning. I guess removing these three teeth was a jolt on the old man I will continue to watch today to see if I have any more blood in my mouth. I will keep you updated Bryanna how things are going. Just eat some scrambled eggs and had no problem so maybe the soft diet is what I need. Probably better on my digestive system anyway.

I just think of all this as dealing with the age thing. I plan on playing golf two days next week and getting back in my routine of retirement life. Just a small bump in the road .

How long before I can start back using the anti cavity mouthwash ? I was told I needed to be using something to try and stop some of these cavities that showed up last month. Another question and I promise I will leave you along. For the last several months before I went to the dentist I had been using a waterpik and not flossing much. I had asked my dentist and they said it would be fine but I still needed to floss. You think I could have stirred up problems when using this waterpik that could have caused the problems that showed up.. I have always took great care of my teeth, well for the last 30 years anyway. Just looking for things that could have caused all this mess. I sure don't want to go though what I am going through now. Ok, thats all for today. Thanks for any more tips. Enjoy your weekend and sorry to bother you. Tom

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the kind words

I believe that you made the decision that you did based on the information that you believed to be correct. I don't get the impression from you that you are easily swayed by too much and when doubt enters your mind, you question the logic until you feel comfortable with the answer. Am I pretty close on that perception??

I had read in one of your private messages to me about this "new" dentist you are now seeing and the past connection you have to him and with his dad. He's ahead of his time if he spoke up to you about the negative side of root canals 20 years ago. I think he's a keeper

There are many problems and health risks associated with keeping non vital and infected teeth in our mouth. Among the many is the fact that our teeth are only inches away from our brain and each area shares the same blood vessel system among other things. There is nothing preventing the bacteria from an infected tooth from traveling to the brain. There are various old and new reports and studies being done on the highly possible correlation between some brain tumors, some brain cancers and root canaled and/or infected teeth.

The education that dentists receive delves very little into the health risks of retaining non vital and infected root canaled teeth and mostly into tooth carpentry. The education that the physician receives delves very little into dental health period. So the education needs to change concerning both professions in order for the public to become better and more thoroughly informed about the health risks of keeping non vital and infected root canaled teeth.

It's important that you eat, and eat nutritiously. Don't go hungry as your body needs nutrition to feed your immune system to heal well. Drink lots of plain water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated and to keep flushing the toxins out of your system. You can, or your wife can, make you smoothies in the blender with a mixture of veggies and fruits. The internet has a boat load of recipes for smoothies. Soup or chili, especially home made, is ideal for now because it provides all the nutrients you need from the variety of veggies that you can put into it. It's also soft and filling.

I'll read you second post now and answer it...
Bryanna

Tom,

Bleeding from the extraction site(s) is normal during sleep for a few days. If you have a lot of blood or you are choking on it during the night, then see your dentist asap. If you have blood that is oozing or you're passing clots from the extraction sites, see your dentist asap. You are also on BP meds, correct? These can sometimes prolong the bleeding from extractions.

Tooth extractions are surgery. They ARE a jolt to the body... every body, not just old people It's important to appreciate that your body has just had surgery and you need to take good care of yourself just as you would if you had any other surgery. Rest, hydrate, stay calm, eat nutritiously, laugh ... think positive thoughts... all those things are healing.

If you are still bleeding, even slightly next week or don't feel physically back to normal, then consider playing a short round of golf and give yourself a rest for a few days before another short round. Better to ease back into that than set yourself back because you didn't take another week to heal.

Regarding the anti cavity mouthwash ... I'm not a proponent of those mouthwashes because they usually contain some form(s) of sugar and are loaded with chemicals. If you want a pure and beneficial anti cavity mouthwash, buy a bag or container of Xylitol which is a sugar alcohol that is actually therapeutic to your teeth and gums. It's not the same as any other forms of sugar and it actually is very effective at combating cavity forming bacteria and gum disease. A teaspoon of Xylitol in a small glass of water used as a rinse before bedtime after you brush and floss your teeth is ideal. It is something that you do not rinse out of your mouth. You want your teeth to bathe in it while you sleep. So just rinse with it, spit it out in the sink and let whatever is left on your teeth stay on your teeth all night. You want to buy pure Xylitol, preferably made from birch and not corn and with no other ingredients in it. The brand NOW is a good one and you can get it at a health food store or online at vitacost.com.

You can start to use the Xylitol on the seventh day post op.

Hope this helps ...
Bryanna

Again thanks. And your thoughts on the waterpik ? Also, I think you know me pretty good. I am never easily swayed by anyone. I read and research all I can and then make my decisions. Worked for me when in business and all though my life. Sometimes when I question someone like a doctor or dentist I get some bad looks but we are all human and make mistakes. That's just me and probably will not change. Next time I have a cleaning I will ask them to cut the price being I am missing 8 teeth now. For some odd reason I thought I had three wisdom teeth left but when I looked with a mirror today the top ones are long gone. Looks like I have 24 teeth total so it should not take them as long to clean lol I am sure that will go over good : Tom

Tom,

You are welcome.

I think waterpiks are good but they do not take the place of thorough flossing. If for some reason you are unable to floss properly, arthritis or etc., then a waterpik would be advantageous. However, nothing is better than thorough tooth brushing, flossing and tongue scraping and rinsing with Xylitol. Do you use an electric toothbrush or a manual one?

Twenty four teeth means you are missing 8 teeth total. Most dental offices will not reduce the cleaning fee for someone with 24 teeth as it can take just as long to clean 24 as it can to clean 32 in some people. You can ask for a senior discount though Also if they want you to come in 3-4 times a year for cleanings instead of 2 times, then you could ask that they wave their exam fee once or twice a year. That's something that most offices will gladly do to keep the person motivated to get the frequent cleanings if that is what is necessary to prevent decay and gum problems from occurring.

Bryanna

I use a manual toothbrush. The reason I started using the waterpik is I would get food trapped between the crowns and could not get it out. I think I should have been flossing more though.

I do take good care of my teeth and that's why I am disgusted on all the problems that showed up. Never go to bed without a good cleaning.

Those 8 teeth missing includes two wisdom teeth on top. I actually thought I had three wisdom teeth but looked today and only the bottom ones remain. All this time I would have swore I had one on top but no it was removed I guess years ago.

The wisdom teeth left on bottom have nothing next to them now after he pulled one on the bottom right and bottom left so I will leave them be.

It looks like I still have 6 crowns left so I might face more problems in the future. I will deal with that if it happens but I sure hope it don't because I don't like living like this. I will make sure I clean around them and floss better but I might be fighting a losing battle as I age.



I had used the dentist that pulled my teeth Thursday when I was still working after my lady dentist recommended I remove the wisdom teeth. I wanted a 2nd opinion then and I am glad I used him again this week. He looked at them back then and said if they were not giving any trouble then leave them be. He said they looked great and still do.

The lady dentist just had warned me about getting them out while I was younger and not on any blood thinners. I don't hold anything against her for that. I don't take blood thinners and never will. Cannot ever take a baby aspirin because it will burn my stomach about an hour after I take it.

Had the light run down my stomach 3 years ago because I was worried I might have an ulcer again but all was clear. He said some people just cannot take the advil's and medicine like that. I stay clear of those.

The Lady dentist has always treated me nice but she just does not take enough time doing a job. She is always moving like she has to get so many people in and out each day. I don't like that but that may be how all of them work. I hate I had to leave her but life goes on. I know they hated to lose me because they told me so when I called and told them what was going on. I would say they need to answer the phone more but thats none of my business now.

I also went to the website you suggested but got lost on which product to buy
Xylitol - Vitacost
Do you know which one I need ?

Don't like this soft and liquid diet. I already lost about 4 pounds and really don't want to lose anymore. Maybe this next week I will be able to eat more.
Thanks again. Tom