living without my teeth!

[toothlessish]

Wow this board has grown so much! haven't been here for a while just been feeling so crap about my inability to contact a dentist. I can't and even if I could I wouldn't get there and just thinking about it all the time was driving me mad.

I read the stuff about teef and for a moment I felt quite exited but then I don't want some crap and useless perfect looking plaster stuck over my crap and ugly teeth ready to fall off at an inopportune moment so I don't think they are for me.

So I'm living without my tooth and struggling with the teeth that can't eat properly. And not having my tooth well it does affect my confidence a lot but unless I can stick one in myself or find someone to do a stick in even if it's only cosmetic well that's the way it is.

After a lot of thought and I do like the manner of dentists like gordon and mike I can't help but think there is too much emphasis on 'doing it properly' and 'legal issues' and whilst that is propably right and admirable it does mean that for me I have to live a life with what feels and has the effect of being a serious disfigurement...and that makes me feel unempowered and that every time I open my mouth there is the visible evidence that I just won't 'behave' myself....

Feeling crap and lost

[letsconnect]

Hi there - good to have you around ! I'm sorry to hear that you haven't had much luck on the dental front . I hope you don't mind but I'm putting together some FAQs for needle phobia and took the liberty of using one of your responses for it, which I thought was really interesting (there have been a lot of needle phobia posts over the last two weeks, so I'll add some more - all suitably anonymized, of course! Any identifying characteristics will be removed or slightly changed to protect anonymity). Can't remember it off the top of my head, but there's a link to it from the needle phobia page www.dentalfearcentral.com/needle_phobia.html
Please let me know if that's not OK!

Thanks for letting us know how you're getting on. And feel free to hang out here and continue posting !

[toothlessish]

Hi

No I don't mind you using anything I say...if it's interesting or helps anyone so much the better.

I'm a bit mis today because I've got a nasty infected bit on the back of one of my teeth, I had a cold and it went to my ears and from there it always seems to hit my teeth. I know that if I do nothing it will start to get better in a couple of days. But in desperation I rubbed raw garlic on it today and it sort of helped (or maybe that was wishful thinking!). I'd love to see a self help section here. I bet some people have ideas and hints that are useful, be it dealing with toothache when you won't go to the dentist or 'how I get to/through the dentist type stuff. Would that have ethical/legal issues? I'm really interested in how people deal with their problem. I'm sure I'm not the only person who doesn't get there and has regular toothache

[letsconnect]

Sorry to hear you're having such a rough time . The DIY Dentistry page is about as far as I can go on the website without sinking into potentially dangerous/unethical territory, I'm afraid.

www.dentalfearcentral.com/diy_dentistry.html

But tips for proven home remedies of a legal nature (i. e. not morphine ordered over the internet or similar) are always welcome, and I would add those, esp. if two or more people would attest to their efficacy (they can be posted here in the "General" section). I hadn't heard about rubbing in garlic before, but it does have antibacterial properties and might help. On the other hand, raw garlic can be fairly irritating and I was wondering if it may not irritate gum tissue if applied in that way? Wouldn't want to make matters worse for anyone...

I don't know where you stand on the issue of antibiotics, but if the cold/infection is bacterial (rather than viral) and spreads, they can be a very good idea.

Hope you feel better soon !

[toothlessish]

Yeah I sort of had in mind home remedy type stuff for example: I find very hot drinks can really bring comfort is you have an abcess sometimes even make it pop and bring real relief

I don't have a problem as such with antibiotics and there are times when they are fantastic. But A: I get so much mouth infection that I'd be on them all the time (sort of) B: I have found that generally with or without them getting over an infection takes a week! C: I get all that thrushy stuff from them so unless I'm really really ill I wouldn't bother.

I think (keep my fingers crossed) that this bloody horridness is turning the corner and I'll stop feeling ill pretty soon...In the meantime a hot drinck and a couple of glasses of wine will go some way to improving my spirits

[letsconnect]

I don't know if I could put up information for home remedies for dealing with abcesses by yourself, because if someone follows the instructions instead of seeking medical attention and then croaks it as a result... . So it's a bit of a no-go area for me...

Hope you're feeling better, though !!