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| My Denture Process |
I told in a previous post, Surviving Dental Work, about my experience of having my teeth extracted. I should have called it something like The Pain of Having Teeth Pulled or something like that. I did not want to make it sound extreme. It was though. I would say it was the hardest thing I have ever gone through. My boyfriend, Sonny, said when I came out into the waiting room after having them pulled, that I was going into shock. Maybe I was. I remember I was shaking a lot. I can never remember feeling like that before. I was so thankful that he was the one going with me that day. In the car as we were leaving, I could see his concern for me on his face. He took good care of me then and the days afterward.
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| Our favorite diner in Cortland, NY. |
Almost four weeks later, I went back for my dentures. When we left there we stopped to eat at a little diner, Hydes' Diner in Cortland. We always stop there if we are in the area. I tried to eat some chicken noodle soup, but could only eat the broth. Even though the noodles were a very soft homemade type. I discovered after doing a lot of research online how to adjust to using my partial dentures. The most important fact is that dentures are definitely NOT like having a new set of teeth! Absolutely not! The other fact is that every single person's experience with them will be different.
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| Keep dentures in water when not wearing! |
Your dentist will tell you to come back for adjustments to them. That is important! You must go back every time you experience discomfort or pain with them. I went back a few days later and he ground them down in a couple of areas and I am doing better with them. Another thing is you need to wear them! I know people who have dentures but never wear them. You will not adjust to wearing dentures or eating with them if you never wear them. I still do not wear mine all day long. I put them in when I am leaving my apartment. But I take my denture cup with me, just in case I cannot tolerate them. I still am not eating with them yet. So not going out to eat in public as of yet.
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| Tools for dental care I use. |
Brush your teeth after everything you eat. Use dental floss daily on the teeth you have left. I use an anti-cavity mouthwash without alcohol after I brush. Brush your dentures following the instructions from your dentist. I do not use anything but my regular toothbrush and toothpaste to clean them. And do so, every day. Put a towel or washcloth in the sink when taking them out or putting them back in. Then if you drop them they won't break or anything happen to them. One very important fact from my dentist was to never let them dry out! If you take your denture cup with you, make sure you have water in it. I carry the denture cup in a plastic container with a tight lid, just in case I need to remove them.
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| Scrambled eggs and avocado is a soft food. |
As for eating with the dentures. Well I have not mastered that yet. I try to eat soft foods with them, but end up removing my dentures. I am nowhere near being comfortable with them. That is why I am trying to wear them for longer periods of time. Eating with them though is a problem. I am afraid of choking on something because I am not chewing very well. I am determined to conquer this because when I have them in, I like the way I look. They make me look so much better and it makes me feel good. I like to wear lipstick and had not been wearing it for years, since my teeth had gotten so bad. I did not want to draw attention to my mouth.
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| Not worried about hiding my teeth in a picture anymore! |
Copyright © 2019 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2019 Kathleen G. Lupole
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