Lifelong Tooth Tales

Teeth have caused challenges in my life. First, when my permanent teeth started to come in, I had 7 baby teeth that never loosened up to make room for the next set. I had to have the teeth pulled. By this time, the new teeth were growing into the roof of my mouth. The dentist then had to slit the roof of my mouth to make a route for the permanent teeth to come down. I was tasked with pushing on the big teeth to keep them moving. Not so fun and painful. 

Several years later, I needed braces to finish the job. All things considered, they turned out pretty well. After braces, things were normal until it was time for the wisdom teeth to start up. I only had one of them so I always joked that I must not be very wise. It was pulled without too much trouble.

In my 60’s, I had to have a molar pulled. It did not come out easily. The dentist worked for several hours and when it finally came out, we were both exhausted. Over the next few days, I developed a dry socket where the tooth had come out. This was the most painful experience of my adult life. Nothing would touch the pain. It was worse than the pain of childbirth without the reward at the end. 

The biggest challenge I’ve faced as I’ve grown older is keeping my teeth white. The dentist tells me that the dentine in my teeth shows through the enamel and makes them look yellow. I tried the dental trays and several whitening toothpastes on the market that promise whitening powers. No luck so far. 

I’ve been aware that people look at other people’s teeth to see the degree of whiteness. I’ve read that this can be considered when applying for jobs. The whiter the teeth, the better the candidate. 

Dentists work to save our teeth. Recently, I’ve wondered if it would be better to get false teeth or dentures. My parents went this route, and frankly, it improved their appearance. This is an issue that I struggle with and I have no idea where it will end up.  

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