Dental apocalypse part 3 or holy crap batman!

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This is a zombie apocalypse. Please note that they all have teeth! Source: Playbuzz

I did not want to get three posts from my dental work. Nope. No way. I was hoping to just put a note on my Sunday Random 5 that everything was done and you wouldn’t be saddled with sending sympathy and truckloads of gifts. Life didn’t work out like that.

You can read the installments here and here.

This is a short recap. I needed to replace five veneers on my bottom teeth. That required two hours of prep on the first appointment. (Did you read that right? TWO HOURS!)

At my second appointment for installation, four of the new veneers didn’t fit together properly. They needed to go back to the lab. The first round took three weeks at the lab but the dentist assured me it wouldn’t take the long. Ha!

In a sense he was right. It was almost four weeks before I got the call to come back in. The day of appointment I got a call that the dentist had an emergency and wouldn’t be in for a week. I said bad words (in my head) and rescheduled.

Then I got another call saying the emergency was really bad and he wouldn’t be in until July. (More bad words in my head.) If you’ve kept count, it’s been eight weeks since I started this odyssey that was only supposed to take three weeks.

Normally I wouldn’t care since the temporaries don’t look bad except that I was chewing the inside of my mouth every time I ate. Something was misaligned (so says Dr. Google.)

I did salt gargles, peroxide gargles, mindful chewing and finally went on a liquid and slurry diet hoping it would heal. That worked until I ate real food again.

From start to finish it will be three months of chewing on the inside of my mouth until the final appointment (hopefully final unless they need to redo another one). The dentist’s partner graciously made a minor adjustment. The jury is still out on that. He talked about removing a veneer to shave down the tooth and put in a new one. (I have a crossbite that complicates things.) I’m still thinking on that.

Right now I’m having visions of backhoes in my mouth along with jack hammers and lord knows what else. Do not take eating for granted. Enjoy every morsel for me! I need to stock up on Ensure!

70 thoughts on “Dental apocalypse part 3 or holy crap batman!”

  1. Kate – is this the most comments you ‘ve ever had on any blog? I suspect so, and it tells me what I’ve always suspected — that dentists and dentistry is/are one of the most traumatic events of everyone’s life…
    And does it surprise you to know that I’ve been putting off making an appointment for three months now? Apart from the pain and fear of the treatment, ( i have no pain threshold) there’s the pain and fear of the cost… that could be worse – the first goes away, but the horrendous bill doesnlt !!!

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    • I’ve had more comments on a blog but dentists are traumatic events. This was an elective procedure I would have to have done at some point. It took me a few years to make the appointment and everything went wrong. The cost is astronomical. It’s twice as much as it was 20 years ago and this hasn’t been going well at all. I wouldn’t do business with a dentist that works with this lab.

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  2. Oh Kate – I am so sorry! That is terrible! Yes, you definitely deserve extra Starbucks. And say – ice cream is frozen liquid…
    Unless cold hurts your teeth. Then don’t do that. Praying for a quicker resolution for you!

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  4. Wow, Kate! I’d probably say some of those bad words out loud, not just in my head. I hope you’re allowing yourself additional trips to Starbucks. If it’s going to be primarily a liquid diet for a time you’re entitled! This really does sound frustrating!

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    • It’s frustrating and annoying especially since I was selective about the timing (which all went to pot). I can eat more than liquids but still slowing working into the foods you have to grind. No steaks yet.

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  5. Oy vey! What an ordeal it’s turned out to be for you. The dentist I recently started seeing (since my move) makes crowns right in his office. You have to wait about 30 minutes for the machine to make it, but it’s worth it. I had one done since I moved here. I’m not sure how veneers work though. I wonder if my dentist does those in office, too. Good luck. Hope it all works out sooner than expected.

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  7. Oh dear. I’m coming out in sympathy here Kate. Thinking back to grandmother and her dentures … and grateful that modern dentistry has better results. Sending a hug (that doesn’t require biting down) your way 💛

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    • Thanks! I feel guilty complaining. My mother had a lot of issues with her lower dentures which were never comfortable. This has been an huge disappointment but it’s not something I want to get negative about. There are a lot of worse things in this world.

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    • I am not sure. The message given to me was that he would prefer to install the new veneers because of the problem with the first set. That I don’t have an issue with but the chewing on my mouth is because of something that’s not happy. I hope that it resolves completely with the final installation. The adjustment made by his partner has helped to a degree. I haven’t had a steak yet though.

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      • I’m working on being patient and I was until my good friend told me today that her crown which she had the prep work for on Tuesday will be inserted next Tuesday. That’s a week. Her dentist uses a laser imager to get the dimensions rather than goo. You can be sure if I need a crown, I’ll use him.

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        • Seriously Kate. I understand emergencies can’t be helped, but leaving you hanging like this without options is unprofessional.
          I think you should contact the office and tell them that waiting is no longer an option because your ability to eat is compromised. They need to be professional about this and refer you to someone else to finish the job.

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          • I have been waiting to see if the adjustment works. So far it’s much better but I still occasionally chomp on my lip. I’ve had this before and once it starts my brain has to relearn how to eat. If in another week it doesn’t resolve, I will call the office. I expect my dentist wants to do the other installations because it’s tricky. There is something about the fit he’d rather do himself. We’ll see. Honestly, I will have a heart to heart because I won’t do another procedure with him with such a long turnaround.

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  12. Good luck with it. I avoid dentists and seem to do the same thing, chewing in one area only, so at least in theory I save stress and money that way and don’t keep getting told my appointment has been cancelled and to try again and do my best for a while–I just do it anyhow, however unwise it may be. Best of luck with it–

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  13. Wowzers. My wife just went though her second dental odyssey in three years, but comparatively hers went swimmingly. She suffered from delays also, and the temporaries the dentist put kept coming loose at unfortunate hours. But sadly you “win” the battle for worst experience, Kate. Eight weeks is way too long, and July is a long time to have to wait now. Yes, frappuccino’s and ice cream are a consolation.

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  14. Can’t the associate work on things while the dentist is gone? That seems an awfully long time to wait. I understand emergencies but I think I’d be a little more vocal about my unhappiness at waiting. Have you already paid for the services? I’d want some kind of refund. That’s just me. I hate dentists.

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    • Well, I hate dentists too now! The service is half paid and that’s substantial money so I’m not willing to go elsewhere. Since the first ones didn’t fit right, my dentist prefers to fit the second set himself. Me, I’m sorry I embarked on this especially at this time of year. Think picnics, celebrations, etc., that I can’t enjoy the food at.

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    • At least. Right now I’m pretty annoyed with my dentist. I know his emergency is a real one and feel for him. However, I’m going to complain about the lab he uses. First it takes too long and based on my personal experience, it’s not all that great.

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  18. I’m still living with a giant hole in my mouth, so I feel your pain, Kate. I’ll go back in July for x-rays to see if the bone is ready for the huge screw also referred to as an implant. 🙂 I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve bit hard into the side of my mouth. Oh, and recently, I was eating an Everlasting Gobstopper and it got lodged in the hole!

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  19. A test in patience, for sure. At least you’re not “out of commission” while waiting on the sidelines for your pretty veneers to come in and take up residence.

    You might get a kick out of this quote that Tippy shared this morning:
    “He who limps is still walking.” ~ Joan Rivers

    Keep on trucking, Kate!

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    • I have a few friends that have gone threw major extractions and the plates, bridges, however, were not all that comfortable. I have renewed sympathy for them. When you can’t enjoy food which is a basic comfort, it’s tough. My mother said to never let anyone pull my teeth and I stuck with that. Maybe the good news is that tomatoes are soft.

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  20. Poor you Kate! I sympathise as in a dentist’s chair is not my most comfortable position, even if it is reclining. I couldn’t bear all that drilling and poking. My teeth are sensitive, and even the descale and polish has me twitching as the nerves rebel. Hope all goes (eventually) well

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  21. Now here’s. post with bite. (Sorry, someone had to say it)
    Why is it that once you bite crooked and mangle your mouth, your mouth, tongue, and teeth seem to go into overdrive to make sure your are punished for doing that by having multiple repeat injuring chomps! OUCHIE!
    Hoping things smoothie over soon

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