Smoking-related tooth loss is pretty common, but...

[PixelSketch]

...today at my dentist appointment, I learned that I'm growing NEW teeth instead. FML.

 

(Posting this here, figured it fit as I consider taking care of my teeth part of healthy living, and growing new teeth isn't really directly tied to quitting smoking ;0 )

 

 

I went in for a small cavity, and mentioned that my back teeth felt a bit odd now and then lately. Not painful, just...odd. An exam and a few x-rays later, and yes, at the lovely age of 43, more than 20 years after having my upper wisdom teeth removed, my lower wisdom teeth are finally growing in! One's already broken through the gums. I'm teething guys!!  :blink:

 

And they're growing in such a way as to need removal sooner rather than later. So, I have some appointments with a specialist coming up and sometime in the next few weeks, dental surgery.

 

I'm glad I don't smoke anymore - I'm sure it will be so much easier to heal from this and I won't have to worry about dry socket as much. Whew. Still not looking forward to this though. Ugh. 

 

And it's kind of funny that wisdom teeth are book-ending my smoking "career". I had the first set removed just before I started smoking. And I will have this set removed just after I stopped. Huh. :crazy:

[Reciprocity]

Never something to look forward to, having major dental work done but, needs to happen and you will heal quicker & cleaner not smoking, Is kind of weird that they would wait this long before deciding to make an appearance though. At least you'll get to be pampered and eat lots of ice cream for a few days :)

[Boo]

On the bright side, at least you have the standard number of wisdom teeth.  At one point I had six wisdom teeth removed (four on the top and two on the bottom).  A couple of years later another wisdom tooth on the upper right side started breaking through.  That's seven wisdom teeth removed and with the money I spent, I helped put an oral surgeon's kid through college.

 

Open wide...

[Stewie]

Thats a lot of wisdom teeth Boo, you´re like a philosopher or something by now...  :)

[PixelSketch]

On the bright side, at least you have the standard number of wisdom teeth.  At one point I had six wisdom teeth removed (four on the top and two on the bottom).  A couple of years later another wisdom tooth on the upper right side started breaking through.  That's seven wisdom teeth removed and with the money I spent, I helped put an oral surgeon's kid through college.

 

Open wide...

Oh geez! I hadn't realized you could have more than four! Wow! All that surgery - that's pretty rough! I can't even imagine.

[Doreensfree]

I'm in pain..just reading this..

[Dee]

I remember having my wisdom teeth removed. I also wore braces for over four years and before they were put on I had molars removed to make room. I can remember smoking after oral surgery even though it was so gross....... yep another good reason not to be a smoker...

[Boo]

Thats a lot of wisdom teeth Boo, you´re like a philosopher or something by now...  :)

 

Good theory.  I like it!

 

Oh geez! I hadn't realized you could have more than four! Wow! All that surgery - that's pretty rough! I can't even imagine.

 

Modern anesthesia is a wonderful thing.  And the pain pills helped during recovery time.  I'm not advocating drug use.  However...following a surgery, the right narcotics really do the trick.

[Reciprocity]

Yup!

 

 

 

[PixelSketch]

Ahahaha! Awesome! I have to still wait a bit for all that. The dental specialist is only at my dentist's every couple of months or so, and I have a big conference that I'm doing design/production work for (my job is a real mish-mash of basically stuff related in some way to media, so I wear many hats LOL) coming up the same week he's there next, so I can't get away and I have to wait until July for my first consultation, never mind all the rest of it. Which just means I'll be REALLY ready for the good stuff by the time it comes to surgery. LOL

 

[MarylandQuitter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__pA9BxlkhE

[PixelSketch]

Haha! Love this one, MQ! "Jimmy's DOWN!" LOL  :lol:

[Reciprocity]

Bottom line is; whenever you go "under the knife" being a non-smoker will mean you will heal quicker with less chance of post-op infections etc. This will be a bonus of your decision to quit smoking :) I had gum surgery & bone grafting done a few years ago. It wasn't that bad when it actually happened. It was more the apprehension before hand that was the worst. Well. that and I couldn't eat decent food for a few days :)

[PixelSketch]

My former mother-in-law had the gum/bone grafting done too years ago, and I remember her saying the same thing as you - not that bad in reality. I think a lot of the time that's how it goes - you build it up into this big scary thing and, it really isn't. The imagination is a powerful thing! 

 

Yeah, I really can't wait to have them out. They're just so uncomfortable. I've been going to the same dentist since I was 14 (!) and I trust his recommendation of the specialist for this surgery, so I'm not worried. Just hate that the schedule worked out the way it did, but, hey, that's how it is sometimes. :) Just hope it's a super quick recovery and, I totally agree, being a non-smoker will definitely help with that!  :)

[MarylandQuitter]

I had all of my wisdom teeth out when I was a senior in high school (had them all out at once).  I remember afterwards that I was in little to no pain but then I got a dry socket which they had to pack.  I was well into smoking as a senior (started when I was around 10 years old) and I remember going to a career seminar or something and driving down the road smoking a cigarette.  I thought I was invincible at that age and in many ways we are, but it catches up to ya which is precisely why I never listened to anybody.

 

After I quit smoking I went to the dentist and feared the worst but was prepared to deal with whatever damage I had done due to my neglect.  Much to my surprise, I only had two very small cavities that I was able to get fixed the same day.  NO other damage or teeth/mouth related issues.  I was beyond happy and celebrated by buying a Sonicare Diamondclean and it was the best investment I ever made.  Since I floss after each meal and brush 2-3 times per day with this bad-ass toothbrush, when I go to the dentist it takes them 5 minutes to clean my teeth and even after they polish my pearly whites, they feel THE SAME as when I clean them at home.  This little gadget is incredible.  My dentist at the time had recommended it and it was well worth the money.

[PixelSketch]

Oh yeah. At that age, you never listen. LOL I spent a good part of my life, from a young age, in the martial arts and I was totally invincible. I wouldn't even have torn ligaments or fractures looked at. "It'll be fine, I'm tough". I trained through it. And because I didn't listen, and have those properly taken care of back then, now, I feel every single injury. I can't stop working out, or I will fall apart! I didn't start smoking until my 20's and, yes, still trained, did weightlifting AND running. Invincible. Ha! It does catch up with you, for sure. I hear you there! Eventually, though I kept working out, my endurance just wasn't what it could have been because of the smoking. It's getting better now.

 

Starting smoking at 10 - you pulled off an awesome quit! Serious respect there! And I'm so happy it all worked out for you with the teeth.  :) I've always had a fear of losing teeth. I think that's why, even with the smoking, I never missed a dental appointment. Also, I wore braces as a kid, and after all that awkwardness, I was invested. LOL I got lucky there too. My dentist says looking at my teeth/mouth, you can't tell I was a smoker. You somehow never think about the damage you're doing to your mouth by smoking until after you quit!

 

And YES for Sonicare!! I think it's the single best thing anyone can do for their dental health. Been using one for years and I can't imagine going back to manual brushing! Also, I love gadgets! I'm due for a new one soon, this one is holding its charge for shorter and shorter periods of time. I'm getting the DiamondClean too this time. My current one is the HealthyWhite. Seriously wonderful cleaning power, but I hear the DiamondClean is even better! That, plus flossing and you're good to go. And it keeps your gums is great shape. I found my cleaning appointments got so much faster after using it too. So worth it!

 

I get tooth whitening done every few years - before because of the smoking and even without that now, the coffee and red wine. I'm doing this whitening round as my one month smoke-free reward. :)