Lupus and Teeth
Well well. I've got to tell ya, I've had some awesome news recently and I'm still terrified about it. I have been having issues with my teeth for so long I don't remember what it's like to have nice teeth. I don't remember what's it like to smile and not think about it. I had lost all hope of ever having them fixed. To be honest, there was a point that I almost wished they would just fall out so I could be done with the pain. I have dental insurance now for the first time in over a decade, maybe 2. The problem is that even with insurance it's still super duper expensive for me. My mouth is rotten. It's sad to acknowledge and embarrasing. The last time I went to the dentist, they coudln't figure out how it was that my teeth almost appeared to be rotting from the inside. No matter what I did.
Last week-ish I went to the dentist because my mouth hurt. Again. Which meant my ear hurt and my sinuses hurt. I spent days wishing I could cry, but I knew that if I cried it would fill up my sinuses and make it hurt worse. So I caved. I went back to the dentist. This time, my dentist actually helped me. She x-rayed my whole mouth and then looked at it in person. She couldn't pull the teeth that I really wanted out because I had an infection in my mouth. So the numbing agent won't work. I cried then. Truly cried. I had agonized and fretted all day before my appointment. Terrified of gettting teeth pulled. Terrified of leaving them in my mouth. And then they weren't going to take it out. 😢
But I did get amazingly great news. News that I thought was 5 years away.
MY DENTIST IS GOING TO PULL ALL OF THE REST OF MY TEETH AND GET ME DENTURES!!
I'm so far beyond excited and terrified. This is going to be a ridiculously long process. I'm pretty sure we're looking at almost a year. A week from yesterday, I go in and get 3 of my teeth pulled. After that, I wait a few weeks and then go in to get 3 more pulled. And repeat. And repeat. And continue repeating until my teeth are all gone. After that, I'm going to be toothless for a while. Which doesn't at all make me happy. But, while I'm all Grandma-Toothless, my dentist will be making my dentures And then I'll have teeth! TEETH! I'm ready to cry thinking about it. I asked my mom if she would be kind enough to to buy me some lipstick when I have my teeth. She was totally about it! And my friend Rae is super excited for me. I've known her for almost 20 years now and has watched every step of this. Her response? "Fuck that. I'll buy you three!"
I have spent the last week dreaming about having teeth. Being able to smile. Putting on makeup and using lipstick (which I haven't even dreamed of for a decade). My teeth not hurting. My sinuses not hurting. Not having 9 ear infections a year. I'm so stoked.
On a similar, yet different note: I've recently read that there's been a study about lupus and tooth decay. From what my limited intelligence understands, there are hundreds of forms of bacteria in the mouth at any given time. Saliva can help combat those bacteria. Lupies often experience dry mouth and possibly mouth ulcers. Which means if there's no saliva because our mouth is dry then we're not combating the bacteria and acid in our mouths. This in turn leads to tooth decay and periodontal disease. Which I guess is what led to my tooth decay. It's nice to know the science behind what's going on in my mouth and why my teeth just wouldn't stop breaking.
I'm going to put some links here in case anyone would like to read more about it because I am NOT an expert! lol.
Last week-ish I went to the dentist because my mouth hurt. Again. Which meant my ear hurt and my sinuses hurt. I spent days wishing I could cry, but I knew that if I cried it would fill up my sinuses and make it hurt worse. So I caved. I went back to the dentist. This time, my dentist actually helped me. She x-rayed my whole mouth and then looked at it in person. She couldn't pull the teeth that I really wanted out because I had an infection in my mouth. So the numbing agent won't work. I cried then. Truly cried. I had agonized and fretted all day before my appointment. Terrified of gettting teeth pulled. Terrified of leaving them in my mouth. And then they weren't going to take it out. 😢
But I did get amazingly great news. News that I thought was 5 years away.
MY DENTIST IS GOING TO PULL ALL OF THE REST OF MY TEETH AND GET ME DENTURES!!
I'm so far beyond excited and terrified. This is going to be a ridiculously long process. I'm pretty sure we're looking at almost a year. A week from yesterday, I go in and get 3 of my teeth pulled. After that, I wait a few weeks and then go in to get 3 more pulled. And repeat. And repeat. And continue repeating until my teeth are all gone. After that, I'm going to be toothless for a while. Which doesn't at all make me happy. But, while I'm all Grandma-Toothless, my dentist will be making my dentures And then I'll have teeth! TEETH! I'm ready to cry thinking about it. I asked my mom if she would be kind enough to to buy me some lipstick when I have my teeth. She was totally about it! And my friend Rae is super excited for me. I've known her for almost 20 years now and has watched every step of this. Her response? "Fuck that. I'll buy you three!"
I have spent the last week dreaming about having teeth. Being able to smile. Putting on makeup and using lipstick (which I haven't even dreamed of for a decade). My teeth not hurting. My sinuses not hurting. Not having 9 ear infections a year. I'm so stoked.
On a similar, yet different note: I've recently read that there's been a study about lupus and tooth decay. From what my limited intelligence understands, there are hundreds of forms of bacteria in the mouth at any given time. Saliva can help combat those bacteria. Lupies often experience dry mouth and possibly mouth ulcers. Which means if there's no saliva because our mouth is dry then we're not combating the bacteria and acid in our mouths. This in turn leads to tooth decay and periodontal disease. Which I guess is what led to my tooth decay. It's nice to know the science behind what's going on in my mouth and why my teeth just wouldn't stop breaking.
I'm going to put some links here in case anyone would like to read more about it because I am NOT an expert! lol.
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