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Remember that fun Christmas song? I just heard it the other day and checked it out and the composer was a teacher who noticed his second graders were all missing a lot of teeth at that age and came up with that song in 30 minutes. I’ve placed it at the end of this post in its entirety because it’s adorable. It got me thinking though. Some bizarre things have happened to my two front teeth over the years. Actually, more than just two I’m sorry to say. And I am NOT writing a song about it!
When I was a teen I ate a steering wheel and lost several of my “front” teeth (after years of orthodontia. I visited the orthodontist a few years after the accident and he was horrified. All that work down the drain). I was lucky my parents found a great oral surgeon and we already had a great dentist so between the two they fixed my poor mouth. I had pallet work and gum work (reconstruction) and then a fancy bridge. My teeth were beautiful at the end of it all. I was very skinny by the time it was all over. I had been a pudgy teen and I’ve often thought of that as the best weight loss plan ever. In fact, over the years when I’ve needed intensive dental work I’ve dropped weight instantly. Dentists should operate dental and weight loss clinics combined.
Ever since that time I’ve become somewhat of a dental care fanatic. I’m not the only one. My 85-year-old mother, who has serious health issues, is still meticulous about the care of her teeth and gums. And it’s not just vanity. (She has a great smile with beautiful teeth.) Bad teeth and gums can lead to scary illnesses and even death.
Years ago I worked with a woman who had a friend who almost died from a preventable dental problem. The man developed some sort of abscess or infection in one of his teeth and it somehow ruptured and the bacteria entered his blood stream and went to his brain! We were all stunned. He was a fairly young man and it came out of nowhere. It was touch and go for him for quite some time. I believe there was an issue with his brain function after that and he was in therapy for quite some time. He survived and I understand he returned to normal, or almost normal, but it took a very long time. Other stories were shared about folks who had dental work and then had a heart attack. My stepdad had dental work (extractions) then suffered a stroke. My uncle years ago had a heart attack after going to the dentist.
I had excellent health and dental insurance through my employer and visited the dentist regularly for many years. I followed fairly ordinary at-home dental care. After the friend’s story about her friend, however, I became unimpressed with my dental routine. I spent time on the Internet to learn the best way to care for teeth at home and consulted my dentist on my next visit. I told him the story of my friend’s friend but he had thankfully never had a patient who developed a life-threatening problem. He was happy to report that though people came to him with horrendous dental problems he caught them in time so that they didn’t develop into something more serious. He suspected my friend’s friend had dental discomfort long before the rupture (not sure that’s the correct term) and had he gone to a dentist at the first sign of a problem he would not have had the horrific problem he eventually experienced.
At the time I talked with my dentist he impressed upon me the importance of taking care of (in particular) senior teeth. I had one area in my mouth that I didn’t do a good enough job on and he and the hygienist gave me lots of tips on how to get into that area. It required hand/arm coordination and contortion skills but I eventually learned how to deal with this tiny area in the very back of my mouth. I knew my mother had a daily routine that was akin to a visit with an oral surgeon but I too knew how important it was so I developed a serious at-home plan. I often read articles about dental care at home and incorporate new things from what I learn into my plan. I could be a dentist.
Pain at the dentist is almost gone these days as far as procedures. Once we get home the pain sinks in but we are usually given medications to help with pain and infection. My current dentist has state of the art everything in a beautiful and comfortable office with music and/or TV and lots of pain medication and happy gas and a cheerful staff and a great chair-side manner. I don't think I’ve ever experienced pain while sitting in that chair. He explains everything and gives painless injections. He’s amazing. Painless injections are the reason I went to him to begin with. A friend of a friend of a friend talked about his method and I left my old dentist flatter than a punctured breast implant and prayed the painless dentist had room for me. His father operated the practice for years and then my dentist joined his dad for a few years before the senior dentist retired.
After all the teen surgery and new bridge they told me that in a few years the bridge would have to be replaced. They estimated five or more years. I had the bridge for twenty years without a problem. Or so I thought. Though I had regular appointments with other dentists during this period (I moved around a lot) none told me that I should have a new bridge. I therefore thought it was fine. In fact, they often complimented the work I had done, especially finding a way to affix a bridge with so few teeth remaining.
One day I was sitting at my desk at work and felt an odd sensation on the left side of my bridge. I thought food had lodged under the bridge and I always had floss and a threader with me for that problem so I went to the rest room to take care of it. As I started threading the anchor tooth dislodged—completely! I was stunned. There was absolutely no warning and no pain. I couldn’t talk because the bridge was dangling and if I opened my mouth to talk it hung down—with the anchor tooth attached. I looked like I belonged in a horror movie. Vampire fangs appeared out of nowhere.
I covered my mouth and slurred to my supervisor I was having a dental problem and called my dentist. He saw me immediately and he determined the anchors of both sides were goners and I would need to anchor an even larger bridge to the remaining teeth. I asked what the odds were of those teeth going too and he said “pretty good” meaning “pretty good” chance I was going to lose all of them. I asked when and he said he had no way of knowing.
Over the next few weeks temporary measures were put into place and finally I received another new bridge. There were a few days when I didn’t talk. That in itself was a miracle. I had severe gum/bone reconstruction problems from the teen accident so it wasn’t easy but he came up with a beauty and I was very happy. That bridge lasted about four years when once again as I sat at my desk, this time thankfully at home, I lost another anchor tooth. Another new dentist (I had moved again) said there were no more teeth strong enough to carry a bridge and I would have to have a denture. He extracted my remaining upper teeth. I was 40 years old.
I had no choice of course but I was very depressed to think I’d have to have a denture. Growing up I knew plenty of people with dentures and did not like how they looked or how they sounded with clicking and sloshing sounds. So many people had ill-fitting dentures and I didn’t want to be one of them. Again, I was lucky to have another great dentist and he fixed me up with a beautiful denture. It didn’t look like a denture and I didn’t make denture noises. I do not put them in a glass at night! They are my teeth and I treat them accordingly. I clean the denture when I clean my “real” teeth. And I don’t have to floss them but I do place them in a foaming fizzy solution while I’m flossing and they come out sparkly!
Years later I had to have that first denture replaced. In fact, I wore it a lot longer than recommended. They do wear down and make chewing difficult for some people but I was happy with it. I think the only reason I ordered a new one is because I was retiring and wanted my insurance to pay for it. [Interestingly, insurance didn’t pay for all of it because it’s considered cosmetic. I guess I was expected to gum my food.] It is also lovely and I’m very happy with it. I can eat anything I want (and I do) and I kept my old one in the event of an emergency. I have just enough vanity to not want to go anywhere without teeth. Not even an emergency trip to the dentist. I once had the flu and ran to the drugstore in my pajamas and a coat and got in an accident. I’d rather be in my pajamas than toothless. Lesson learned.
So my dental routine does not include much with the denture. It’s all about the lower teeth. I’m not sure why I’m so fanatical about the lower teeth since I’ve had such good luck with the upper denture but I understand fitting a lower denture is more problematic and I just don't want any problems so I’m trying to keep what I have left.
But it’s more than that. It’s the health issue of clean healthy teeth and gums. In addition to the aforementioned bacteria attacking that poor man’s brain, bacteria from diseased gums can travel to the heart and cause all kinds of serious trouble. Generally, I have tried to live a healthy life and dental care is extremely important for overall health. Many people cruise along exercising and eating properly then have a heart attack from poor dental hygiene or inadequate dental care.
So here are some tips I found from various places online. I do all of it. I didn’t make any of this up. It’s all out there for those interested in further research. Because I’ve had a somewhat rocky dental history I am determined to keep my remaining teeth healthy and I hope my brain and heart benefit as well!
-Brush three times a day for at least three minutes each time.
-Sometimes if I’m waiting for the clothes dryer or waiting for someone to pick me up or whatever, I spend a little time just dry brushing without toothpaste softly around the gum line, front and back.
-Develop a routine and stick with it. Start with the same part of the mouth every time, always moving from one section to the next in the same order. Habit, habit, habit.
-Don’t brush too hard with the toothbrush. Spend more time gently but thoroughly brushing instead of hard brushing. Move the brush up and down each tooth and gum.
-Using a toothbrush with stiff bristles can damage the sensitive tissue in the mouth. Always use a toothbrush with soft bristles.
-Brush the tongue and the roof of the mouth to remove even more bacteria. Remember, the goal of being a dental fanatic is to remove bacteria.
-Floss every time. Don't whine, just do it. Once the routine kicks in it’s easy.
-Look for tartar-control toothpaste with the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance or Recognition.
-Most antiplaque rinses and antimicrobial mouthwashes contain alcohol, so be careful if that’s a problem, but they kill bacteria in the mouth. [A coworker kept whiskey in a flask in her purse and “rinsed” frequently throughout the day. She swore it was for her teeth and gums.] Fewer bacteria means less plaque on your teeth. I rinse before I brush/floss to kill as much of the bacteria as possible in the event I floss a bit too hard and allow the little creatures to enter the blood stream. Ew.
I’m doing my best to take care of myself. Since I have more time than I did when I was working I can be fanatical about exercise and visits to my doctor for preventative health care screenings and cooking healthy foods and taking care of my teeth. I want to be a very old senior citizen. I don't want my tombstone to read, “If only she had flossed.”
Every body Pauses and stares at me
These two teeth are gone as you can see
I don't know just who to blame for this catastrophe!
But my one wish on Christmas Eve is as plain as it can be!
All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth!
Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could wish you
"Merry Christmas."
It seems so long since I could say,
"Sister Susie sitting on a thistle!"
Gosh oh gee, how happy I'd be,
if I could only whistle (thhhh, thhhh)
All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth.
Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could wish you
"Merry Christmas!"
By Donald Yetter Gardner (1944)
www.sharonstrawhandgarner.com
[No part of this content may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author. Blog series began in March 2009.]
