I am new to NeuroTalk....just was browsing from PC......saw this post & had to read because it sounded so similar to my issues.

I have about 10 teeth have have compleletly broken off & all the others are so decayed, there is no saving anything & no reason to even try. I can understand the lack of chewing ability....it is almost impossible. Sometimes I get food caught in my throat but that is also because I had neck fusion & for some reason....even pills get stuck in my throat, so I don't think it's just the teeth & not chewing the food completely is the problem with that.

I haven't had the money to put into having all my teeth taken out. I was looking into the implant option because I can't imagine having dentures both top & bottom......I do dressage horse riding & keep picturing the denturies flying out of my mouth when I'm in the middle of riding in a show.

I went to a dentist in the previous state I lived in when I was there just before Christmas (another tooth had just broken off towards the front of my mouth & it's really embarassing looking......so no way will I even open my mouth very much....that's hard because I talk a lot but no smiling with my mouth open. That dentist specialized in implants & she said that after all my teeth are pulled, there wouldn't be enough bone for the implants to attach to. She said that the surgery to to the bone transplant from the hips would not only be costly (at least $40,000, but it's also very painful & the chance of being successful isn't great). To top that off, for the dentures, I have the problem where there are the mandibular tubili (something like that) that have to be removed from behind my lower teeth for any dentures to even fit into my small mouth.

I am surprised with all these teeth problems, I have absolutely no pain....that is beyond my understanding except that I am sure it's stopped by the pain medication i am on for my migraines. Nothing helped my migraines except for being on a high dose of narcotics which I have been on since 2003 & I am sure that is stopping any horrible pain from my mouth. I know I still feel pain it's not that I dont because then I was thrown off my horse & got a concussion from landing on my head (even with my helmet on) & messed up my shoulder.....I felt that pain, so I know I feel pain....but I know there has to be some pain I am not feeling with my teeth as bad as they are.

I have just moved to my farm in another state & am have to look into the local university. They are supposed to have a wonderful dental school that can possibly to the work for a lot less but do state of the art work since they are a research school also.

I have to admit, I am afraid of dentists from all the bad experiences I have had all my life. First off, I am sure I inherited my bad teeth from my Dad (thanks a lot Pops) & then they told me that when my teeth were forming, I had been really sick with a high temp & antibiotics which they said messed up the forming of the enamel.....so I was having cavities & chipping teeth from the time I had teeth.... that was before the day when they did any floride treatments to strengthen enamel. I then for some reason, I always grinded my teeth all my life. I have no idea why I did that but that was also before they knew how to protect the mouth when someone does that.

My teeth have been in this condition for years & years since I haven't had money for years & years that could be put towards this & I have been in a very unsettled state for ever also until I am finally getting settled in my own home now & in the process of getting divorced. Going through this alone isn't exactly something I am looking forward to either....especially while I have all my horses & dogs to take care of on top of myself....no time seems good to do all this let alone how long it will take for recovery.....there is always an excuse to not do anything about it with all the fear on top of it but I know there is going to come an end to the time I can procrastinate & that has to be coming soon. Besides, I want to try I get off the pain med I am on for the migraines to see if they have finally gone away or at least can reduse the amount of med. That is also an expense that I don't need if it really isn't necessary anymore. It is hard to say because the med completely controlled the migraine pain, so I haven't had the horrible pain since 2003....it was almost constant migraine pain that wouldn't go away & I had had that pain from about 1995. It was such a relief to not have the migraine pain that I didn't push trying to see if the pain had gone away.

I had no idea that others were in the same situation as I am....I thought I was the only one that would let dental work go for so long....partly financial reasons but also fear & never having time for down time for recovery. I had gone through a horrible trauma with my Mother dying of cancer just 3 years ago & the stress had caused me to loose so much weight, I was in the hospital for several months on IV nutrition.....& it turned out the PTSD symptoms really messed me up for quite some time....I have just been getting through symptoms.....so there is a lot going on in my life besides trying to get my house settled & the barn & pasture put into my new farm 2200 miles from where I previously lived.

It's time to do something with the teeth situation......soon...it can't make things worse than they already are, but one never knows how surgeries go....which is also part of my fear. I sure don't want to be awake for the surgery of having all the teeth pulled....I just want to be put out & wake up with it over with....I wish there was a way to have even some implants..but that will be determined in how much bone is even left after all the teeth are pulled

HI kami,

Clindamycin is a common rx for oral surgery. Make sure you supplement with a probiotic to keep your intestines healthy. Just don't take them at the same time ....... usually an hour or more apart is good and you only need to supplement with the probiotic 1-2 times a day.

I can understand their reluctancy to introduce a foreign matter (bone graft) into your bone due to your health history. Your body is less likely to reject your own bone. I hope this surgery goes alot better than the last one!!

Please keep us posted on how you are doing!!'

Bryanna