What a RELIEF!

I feel sooo much better! I did chip a little less than a 1/4 off of a tooth. It was a tooth with a filling and apparently, some decay got in around the filling and weakened the tooth. Had the tooth not chipped, the band would have gone around the tooth and held it together while the decay continued unchecked and unfettered behind the filling. By the time the bands would have come off, it would have been a BIG mess. Additionally, this is the tooth that needed the brass spacer because the restorations on the two adjacent teeth made them too close for a regular spacer last week.

When the dentist went to smooth down the restorations and make them nice and round, he saw the OTHER tooth had decay started around the filling and he removed it and then replaced it. He spent a lot of time shaping them so hopefully the bands will fit quite nicely next week.

When I was at the orthodontist's, I asked about the one spacer on the bottom that was bothering me, the assistant popped it out and put in a new one and voila' no more pain there!

I actually chewed food! I had a solid food lunch! Oh, my teeth are still a little sore, but what a difference!

I'm so happy things worked out today! *snoopy dances*

Something's going on in there....

Today I noticed that the spacers aren't sticking up quite as far as they did, they must be contracting and pushing my teeth apart. I do notice that the brass wire they inserted is looser so it must have worked some space in there, too.

I took pictures of the wire, which wasn't easy, but it was kinda gross being able to see all the way to the back of my mouth so I'll spare you. I can tell you the brass was very shiny, lol.

While writing this, I got the email reminder that I have my appointment at 7:45 AM to get the wire taken out and replaced with a rubber spacer. UGH! 7:45...Doctor better hope I don't mistake his fingers for a bagel! LOL!

Really, I can kinda chew, like soft meat from one of those add water, microwave and strain dinners, so I at least feel a little fuller.

I think I've lost some weight since I started having jaw issues. Back in January, my shorts were very tight, almost too tight to wear. The other day I could pull them down without unbuttoning them! My work pants are much looser as well. May be I should step on a scale and see?

I'm imagining with as sore as my mouth has been, it will get a little worse before it gets better so who knows? May be by the time everything is done I'll give Kate Moss a run for "skinny Minnie". Ok, not that much I hope!

OH YEAH! I added a countdown clock....Like it? Pretty spiffy!

It's Getting Better

There is next to no pain now...a little feeling of pressure, unless I bite down hard.

Saturday and Sunday were tough. Most of the pain was gone EXCEPT for when the teeth touch. It was so sore I had to chew very gently with only my front teeth then swallow everything kind of whole.

I had a milk shake for lunch, well it was "medically" necessary, lol...then I cooked up some ground turkey and let it go into little pieces. I just browned it down until it was well cooked then mixed that in with some pasta and sauce. It was delicious, but it took me an hour and a half to eat my dinner!

Sunday I had oatmeal for breakfast then more pasta for dinner.

I spent most of the weekend home, going to bed early and sleeping in which got rid of my cold, for the most part, still a little stuffy but as long as I'm not coughing and bumping my teeth together...It's all fine and dandy.

I have to go back REALLY early on Thursday so they can replace the brass spacer with a rubber one...but other than that, I think this is going pretty well.

As a bonus...the little rubber spacers stick up a little bit and when I bite down it's a bit bouncy...which seems to be helping my TMJ as it keeps me from grinding my teeth.

More...later in the week...

Ouch!

Just got home. I had the wonderful Helen to put in most of my spacers. I got 7...six rubber and one brass.

My teeth are very tight but 5 went in without a problem. However, one was very tight. so after some work, she got that one in, using some floss to force it in. I knew it cut my gum a little, as she said, "You're not squeamish about blood are you?"

It only bled for a little while. Kinda like a paper cut on my gums.

The last one was so tough, the doctor had to come in and "make" a spacer.


I had a filling/restoration between 2 teeth which eliminated the space. So what to do? The Doctor came over and used a small diamond file to polish the edge to try to make room. When then that was done, he used a brass wire through the space near the gum. OUCH!

It wasn't horrible but it did hurt a bit. Then he twisted the ends tight to force space to be created. I go back next week to have the brass ring (ha!) removed and a regular rubber one put in.

You can see them in the picture above.

I treated myself to a milkshake at Chik-fil-a when I was done. Yum!

It didn't hurt a lot once everything was done. It was just a weird feeling of pressure, except where the brass ring is. The pressure there is instant...with the rubber ones, the pressure is slowly growing. I have a feeling I'll be pretty sore at bedtime.

Think I'll wait till bedtime, take more Advil and then sleep. Hopefully, it won't keep me up.