Teeth, own or false, dentist costs, extractions etc.

@lacy2 I’m so happy you found Mayo Connect as well and enjoying the benefits of this caring community. We’re all here to help each other.
The title of your posting caught my attention today. I’m now retired, but I was a certified dental assistant for over 32 years. I’m sorry you weren’t given much information or any advice after your extraction.
Let me assure you, we all heal at different rates. The first few days following an extraction, you have to be cautious to keep the area clean but do NOT rinse vigorously with water. It’s important that the blood clot in the bottom of the socket isn’t dislodged. You may see a little blood tinged saliva for a day or so. That’s normal! But it shouldn’t be openly bleeding.

It’s ok if some food particles get caught. The socket will heal from the bottom up so the food isn’t permanently caught. After a week or so, it’s ok to rinse a little more vigorously.
In the meantime, a suggestion is to take 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water. Take a sip, then gently tip your head from side to side, letting the water swish back and forth over the area and in your mouth. Then spit it out. Just no vigorous cleansing!
It can take months for the bone to fill in as the extraction site heals. So even though the socket area has filled in with skin/tissue, you could still feel an indentation until the bone fills that gap. It may never feel 100% even but eventually will feel smooth to the tongue.

I hope this helps allay your fears. Why were the teeth extracted? Anything else I can help you with?
Wishing you a lovely day, Lori.

@loribmt That's good information I just had 2lower front teeth pulled I had lose and gums receding .It has been a week and it's heeled I see Dentist on 23 for impressions Thanks for that info.

HI everyone.. thanks so much for the information... they were so anxious to get me out of there, had put wet tea bag and gauze in mouth and some sticking out with my mouth closed, ugh... I would like to answer your question re why tooth out and if you dont mind another question... just had company arrivr anfd sitting outside so back to ipad later, june x

@lioness You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s healed over for you. You’ll still have some bone remodeling going on for a while as it takes time to fill in to that area. Are you having a partial made to replace the lost teeth?

@lacy2. Ask away. ☺️ Are you on a blood thinner? Tea bags are often used to help with excess bleeding after an extraction. The tannins in the tea help promote clotting at the site. Enjoy your time outside!! It’s finally gorgeous where I live too so we can be out and about with out heavy winter jackets holding me down! LOL.

Oh no just lost my lengthy reply!
So will keep this one short. No not on blood thinner. I did read about tea bags being used....it was just that the tea bag and a bit of gauze were still sticking out of my closed mouth, but ok. Thanks for the extra information, especially about gum healing before jaw and food getting in hole. I had tooth out December and one last week, both bottom molars... both full of old old fillings mostly metal over the years, I am 77. One started hurting whenever anything touched it, even my tongue, and last one when hot/cold touched it; and i opted to have taken out and didnt want to go on antibiotic if got worse.
When I a huge white filling a few months ago... while they had fingers and implements in my mouth something was burning my tongue in places.. like something dripping on. I didnt say anything at the time but next visit asked assistant and she said not to worry, just some acid which bonds the white filling to the tooth, she said just like stomach acid. ACID?? That side of my tongue was so very very sort for 2 or 3 weeks .. I know about stomach acid as years ago had 2 ulcers. So last time she put a blue rubber damn over my tongue while he did filling before extracting tooth next to it, however, during procedure I feel I may still have swallowed some as when swallow its like a sore throat on right; also gagging on the blood.... honestly, I am not scared of dentists or dental work but these past few visits have been Brutal! Also have tinnitus yet hyeracousis and the sound of the drill etc. almost drove me crazy. But what choice did I have.
I was grateful they were open through most of Covid and very pleasant etc., but even the tools they put in my mouth hurt as older and no padding left in my lips etc. The Acid spilled on my tongue ... they were not at all concerned. I felt I was between a rock and a rock. He also had a very hard time pulling the old tooth as had wide roots and he had to grind them up , or down, with the drill... although frozen I could feel every push and pull and wiggle.
The say eat one side of mouth but both sides are sore.... now I am trying to eat soft food like a rabbit! THANKS again for your kind help. J.

@lacy2 Oh my goodness, you’ve been through the ringer lately with dental procedures! I’m so sorry you’ve had these negative experiences.

Hopefully I can ease your mind a bit with some of what happened during your treatments. Based on what you’ve told me, the two teeth removed appeared to have issues and were either non-vital teeth with abscesses forming or fractured. Antibiotics would only have given temporary relief. So you would have faced a root canal treatment and/or crowns.

The large white filling you had is pretty common to replace the aging amalgam fillings. Yes, there is a highly buffered acid used to etch the tooth. It helps in the adherence of the bonding material. Truly, you have nothing to fear with this acid. It’s no where near as strong as stomach acid. We eat and drink acid containing foods all the time. The acid used in the tooth preparation is generally in a gel form and pretty stable. So while it felt like it was running down your throat I think it was probably the cold water getting in the back of your throat. Having been on the opposite side of the chair and being responsible for ‘catching what runs down the throat’ before it happens usually that’s the culprit. Especially if you’ve had anesthesia. It’s difficult to actually feel what’s happening.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m in no way doubting you, but I’m wondering if the reason your tongue felt sore for 2 or 3 weeks after might have been from biting your tongue while you were numb or perhaps the tongue was nicked a little with the drill...pretty tight quarters way back there. Both can happen pretty easily. It does sound as though your dentist could have a little more of gentle chair side manner.

Don’t ever hesitate to let your dentist know your lip is being pushed too hard or that you’re uncomfortable in any way. If you’re still feeling the tooth during the procedure, ask for more anesthesia. As we get older sometimes our teeth ankylosis into the bone and are difficult to remove. I’m sure it felt and sounded awful but your dentist was merely dividing the tooth to remove in segments to minimize damage to the surrounding bone and tissue. I assisted for 32 years and freely admit I’m a horrible patient!! So I can truly empathize with all you went through. 🙂

As for future appointments... Do you have an iPhone or a portable music source? We provided our patients with an iPod to listen to with ear buds. That helped immensely with a great distraction from all the unavoidable noise. You can also ask to hold the small saliva ejector. Have the assistant show you how to turn it on, and then you can use it to quickly suck out the back of your throat. I used to do that all the time for patients. It gave them a little control over feeling helpless if they sensed something in their throat. Generally there wasn’t anything there because...I was gooood at my job! 😁

You mentioned both sides of your mouth are still sore. Is your jaw aching from holding open for so long? Have you tried some warm compresses? Have you tried a little Tylenol to take the edge off? I hope you feel better soon and get back to a normal diet. 😘 Lori

Ah thanks for your support. And, no, I wouldn't want to be a dentist, lol. An assistant? maybe. I think possibly as I had a very gentle female dentist (not sexist) for many years, over 15, and maybe small hands ? Her assistants were like you, goooood. But here and maybe its cos of Covid and they have masks and its hot in there with thick plastic curtains etc...but the male dentists seem to go at it like they are carpenters .. there is a bit of compassion missing although very nice and I always thank them; . the assistant has quite often given me a mini shower, and when spouse there same thing and the assistant sprayed the dentist's plastic shield he wore at beginning of Covid but i think she told him they cant use the regular tools?
Guess its kind of funny, but honestly that acid on my tongue burned like it was making holes in my tongue, but I do have dry mouth and tender inside my whole mouth, even sometimes catsup sort of stings.. the headphones sound a good idea, maybe they are not using them through Covid. It wont stop me going to dentist but I might change offices.. . as we get or I get older, seem to be more sensitive to it all.
Thanks and have a good day. ps They gave me 2 Advils for pain which helped. 🦷

@lacy2, @loribmt, @lioness Hello, fellow tooth fairies! My, sounds like you have all the horrid fears and thoughts I've had all my life re dentists! I'm so sorry, lacy, you go through this each time you go to the dentist. I've been there and have worked very hard through the years to work through my fears. They were really deep and serious. I think started as a child, as makes sense, when I had the first dentist visit and was tied into the chair with a big......HUGE.....block of rubber in my mouth to hold it open. It was everything scary and stayed with me forever.

I finally, a few years ago, found a dentist in town who works with folks who are ill or disabled or has additional medical problems. Well, that was a good thing and a big jump ahead for me. You see, I developed epilepsy when I was 11 years old and was on dilantin/phenobarbatol for over 20 years, pTlus lots of other seizure related drugs that permanently damaged my gums and teeth. I've had 2 gum surgeries, lots of teeth filled w/huge fillings, 10-13 root canals!!!!!! and now many teeth pulled and refilled due to age.

I finally, after my son got better from his illness, I focused on my health. First thing was go to dentist and deal totally w/teeth issues. After too much money his closure due to Covid, reopening and gettng started again.....I'm finally very happy with my mouth results. No upper left-side teeth....3-4 molars pulled long ago....left alone. Several crowns replaced, a couple of bridges, new crowns, 4 teeth pulled and replaced w/bridges. Did that rather than false teeth or can't afford or want the pain/etc or new/replacement teeth, and too old and ill for anything toooooo extensive.

I decided I need to be able to chew well enough, to smile a pretty smile, improve my bite.....which we did!....and still be able to pay the bill. I must be happy with my mouth's situation. No holes, no cavities, gums healthy and not bleeding like the meds caused, and get it done, finished and not have a nervous breakdown!

Did it, lady! Proud person here to say I was able to make it through, with sanity, mostly, some pain and discomfort but with the knowledge this was my choice, I'm in control...not the dentist or anyone else....if I needed a rest for a minute due to TMJ and lots of pain there....the doc and I had an understanding going in that I needed to take it easy, and have other pain issues. I think my key was to share, quietly and gently and calmly, my issues and fears and help him understand how he can best help me.

I'm pleased with the outcome, Lacy. Mentally, emotionallly, physically, healthwise....I won. By being thoughtful about what I needed and could do, what I could and could not tolerate, and makeing choices re doc and extent of work that made sense for me and my life today.

Hope this long book helps you some. You brought back so many memories. I hate we had to deal with all this stuff....no floride for a long time, meds, etc. Now, my gums are so gorgeous....light pink all the time now. No red. No blood. Teeth are lovely. Can chew enough. And, this work had improved my overall health, as the infections and illness in the mouth travels throughtout the body. Heart has improved.

So, get going, work on your mindset, deal with your fears....which are totally real and understandable but time to push them away! Fear paralizes you. It isn't a good thing and we can beat it, control it...up to us.
Blessings, in this wonderful journey called life. elizabeth

Hello Elizabeth and all... sage advice and congrats on going through so much with such a positive attitude, it must not have been easy. I think this is it.. my previous dentist would have a bit of time to talk about other issues in my life and lives of others, my daughter went there and Dr. X would ask her how things were going with her new home etc., either before or after the procedure. That dentist sadly passed away at a young age leaving a family and hundreds of patients who really liked her. So now at new dentist, larger practice, and two male dentists, who are polite but business first ,, it is so different... no point mentioning my other health issues/mental and physical.. they are just not into it and I understand...it's a business after all and time is money. They always say after..you did well. And you said your son was also ill at the time you were having treatments, must have been hard. Well tooth area hurting now but managed to have some supper which I am SURE would make some people gag; husband likes liver so fried, mashed potatoes and spinach and i put my meat in food processor, mixed it up and it almost looked like my dog's dish! But didnt have to chew!!! Take care, June