Teeth

We don't think about our teeth much until they hurt do we?

I got braces on my teeth around age 46 I believe. My top and bottom teeth no longer met when I attempted to chew.
Instead, Rick had to do the Heimlich maneuver.
I would moan that at times when I would bite down to chew on something my teeth would scrape one another. Ooh, not a good feeling.
When that happened I would sometimes choke.
The 2nd time he did this maneuver on me he insisted I go the dentist.

The fun part of braces when you are old is you are the tallest person in the orthodontist office.
Being 5'1" that was a thrill for me. I felt like a giant.
The bad thing was all the reading material was for children. There were even video games to be played and Nickelodeon was on the TV or silly movies like Doctor Doolittle. I was not their target market obviously.

At 18 months I had my braces removed. They took impressions of my teeth the day they were removed.  I had my retainers made and I wore it faithfully until I lost my top retainer 2 years ago.  I don't know how or where. I assume it ran off with my favorite bra. Which made Rick ask, Where the hell are you taking off your bra Margaret?  Obviously, the same place I took off my retainer.

I continued to wear the bottom retainer every night, though. Then at Christmas time a miracle happened. My husband vacuumed. Since knowing him since 1987 he has never ever touched the vacuum cleaner. I was thrilled until I heard a rattle and knew he picked something up that shouldn't have been. He yelled I think I just vacuumed your retainer. What the hell was it doing on the floor?
I had on my bathrobe and thought I had put it into my pocket. Apparently there was a hole that I was unaware of. (yes, it is an old ratty bathrobe but it's comfy)

So now I have no retainer and boy my teeth are moving quickly.
I called my orthodontist and asked if I could get another retainer when all this took place but they said they don't keep my impressions so I would need to get braces again.  I was shocked. I am going to spend another 5-6k because you don't keep the impressions of my teeth which you told me you did keep. Aargh.

So my teeth have been moving. I am not happy. But so far no choking. But my top teeth are not perfectly straight anymore either.
Then the week we were in Florida I began having some pain. It felt my teeth were moving. Just like it did when I had on my braces. That same painful moving teeth pain. I just thought that was what was happening and didn't think much more about it because it came and went.

Then I notice one day that my teeth were becoming a bit sensitive to cold.
It actually occurred while I was walking the dog. Like breathing in the cold was really painful. I know what you're thinking, Woman, close your mouth you ole mouth breather. Well, I was talking to Izzy and no, she did not answer me but while doing so I inhaled apparently. That's my theory anyway.  Wowsa did that ever hurt!

Later that evening it happened again and it has gotten progressively worse.
Last week it was keeping me awake. The pain was crazy. I drink water all damn day and I drink a few cups of coffee. I couldn't drink anything. Then I began to use a straw. That works most of the time but honestly, sometimes water got to my front teeth that hurt the most. My two front teeth hurt so badly I gave up eating and drinking. Not the diet I was looking for. If I touched my front two teeth it sent me through the roof.  But how I miss my daily 2 litres +  of water.

This weekend I had a glass of wine. I don't drink cold wine. (not cool)
I drink red wine at room temp and that too bothered me. So I couldn't finish my glass of wine. I know...the horrors! The pain of no wine on the weekend hurts almost as much as my front teeth.

Friday I called the dentist and they got me in Saturday morning at 8:30a
I really didn't want to be up and dressed to be presentable at 8:30 on Saturday but I really hurt so I had to go.  I had x-rays and I prayed this was a cavity and not another cry for braces or worse. I wanted a quick fix.
A cavity to me would be the quick fix.
But no, that isn't how things work for me.

After the x-rays and the exam I was asked if I used whitening toothpaste.
Yes, I have for about 10 years. Colgate whitening toothpaste I told her.
She shook her head and explained this was the issue. She has apparently seen this often but wanted to rule out cavity or worse.
Apparently the whitening toothpaste can make the enamel thin and other assorted things that have now caused this sensitivity.
What I heard was, yada, yada, yada, yellow teeth!
She told me to buy Sensodyne and act/fluoride rinse. She told me this would get better in a week or so and to follow up with her by a call to let her know. Because if not better this could be a nerve but she didn't think so because my other teeth were affected as well, but the majority of the pain is my two front teeth. That are a bit crocked and that I brush much more. Great.
I left her office and went across the street to Walmart and bought new toothpaste and the rinse.  Knowing full well this was going to hurt (the rinse)

Brushing my teeth about kills me but I am doing it none the less with the new toothpaste and rinsing with ACT all while stifling blood curdling screams.
My God the water kills me. Hot, cold and warm. Cold being the worst.

I am hopeful this will work. Since my teeth never got white with this I don't know why I kept using it. But better than getting braces again although my teeth need them again as well.  Will it really work that quickly?  Or will I die of dehydration first?  Inquiring minds want to know.