News about my teeth

Without going into too much detail, I have lived a life with Epilepsy. All my adult life has been about taking medication and avoiding teeth clenching attacks.
Now my teeth are giving up. Despite going to the dentist at least twice a year my teeth are a mess. It got worse when NHS dental treatment became a minimum price thing and dentists wanted you out of the chair pronto as they do not make money spending more than 5 minutes with you.

Yes I should have seen the writing on the wall, bit the bullet (more cracks) and spent a few hundred pounds a year supplementing the  minimal treatment. Hindsight is a good thing. You never realise what age brings until it happens.

So here I am with teeth that can just about keep up with eating and on the verge of hanging up the "I give up " sign.

I am about to do the most scary thing in my life. Go to a good dentist who will be happy to remove my savings from my bank account. I of course will have to keep the amount I have a closely guarded secret to prevent the cost climbing.
My "Bonding session" as the email describes it is in a couple of days. I'm sure it will be all hugs and pats on the back. Well maybe a handshake followed by hand cleaning gel and a "What can I do for you."
He will have to prize my jaws open and stand well back. After he has picked his assistant off the floor, he will prod and poke, tut and sigh, the smiles of pity will be followed by "This is going to cost a lot, you do realise this."
I will be tempted to offer my excuses for the devastation I allowed to happen and explain I want working teeth not brilliant white sparkling "I can't stop smiling." teeth.
Inlays, overlays, buckets of amalgam shovelled into skips, white fillings, replacement crowns and at least 6 new crowns to give me my bite back.
Maybe even one implant to fill a gap created by the man who dug for gold, filled it in left me in agony then pulled it out. (Thanks mate you were pathetic).
The options will be discussed, planned written down priced and amended depending on how many tears I can produce. He may even suggest a payment plan I don't need, but i'm not letting him know that or I will end up with more implants than even I can afford.

The basic truth is, without a masters degree in dentistry, how am I to know what is best. It's all down to trust in the end. Trust I no longer have in the dentist that looks in my mouth and says we are finished see you in six months ching ching.

I have done the online research, It leads you down so many paths you end up with twenty different opinions on the best thing to do. At least you learn the lingo and your own estimate of cost goes from laughable to slightly realistic.

If i'm asked what do I want I have to admit my reply will be unsure. If I say I want the best that can be done, do I end up with what I want or what he wants to charge? I'm not after that smile they all sell now. The occasional grin will do so long as I can cut into that meat, bite that apple and chew those nuts I love so much, all without worrying something is going to break and I have to keep going back for a fix.
I'm even looking forward to his dental plan for the next few years with the checkups, hygienist and the friendly smile all in the monthly price.
In fact that is what I want and that is what I will ask for.

Then he real work begins. I don't have pain with my teeth, never have. I wonder if that is going to change. Time will tell.


Had my 1st appointment with my new dentist. He is an affable chap, young with good credentials. The Surgery s only a year old and spotless. Staff are friendly. There were no sighs or horrific expressions when I opened my mouth. Her did the usual prodding and poking, called out the condition of each tooth and looked for problems that were urgent. We had a good talk about what I wanted and he explained they would need to take impressions of my mouth as it is now in order to create a working plan and cost the whole job. So I go back in 4 days to see the specialist. One thing I did as we spoke was check his teeth and they were pretty normal, no stupid whitening or glitter. I find that comforting as he is not using himself as some kind of walking add for that smile people seem to crave these days. Those smiles are high maintenance pointless things.
A couple of x rays identified a small area of early decay in one tooth. Nothing to panic over. A pleasing £55 and I was on my way. Mind at ease for now.  Roll on Friday.

Friday 11th Jan 2019
Saw the Specialist Ahmed Moustafa
https://www.gosforthdentalsurgery.co.uk/meet-our-team/
He is a very nice chap got on with him well. He spent a great deal of time asking what I was wanting and suggesting options. After a series of xrays and photos were taken her estimated I needed about 18 crowns and a series of fillings both temporary ad permanent. My bite needs to be realigned as the treatment proceeds. Will be seeing him next Friday for impressions and a better idea of what they can do. No charge made.

Friday 18th Jan 2019
Mr Moustafa sat me down and we looked at the horrible pictures of my terrible teeth all highlighted in glorious high definition ultracolour splendour. It was like something out of a horror movie, not for the faint hearted. He and his partner had worked out a way forward and got closer to a final amount for treatment. The figure is £13,800 slightly less than I had thought as they were giving me some free treatment. It involves temporary fillings, new white fillings temporary crowns and new permanent crowns, He also mentioned a couple of weeks when I would be eating with my front teeth only to help with my bite.
I took to the chair for a series of impressions and measurements that were  not too bothersome but left a foul taste in my mouth. Next Friday I will get the full assessment and a work plan diary of the treatment. I will be sitting in the chair for 3-4 hours on some of these visits. Wondering what to do with all of that time!!!

Friday 25th Jan 2019
Mr Moustafa showed me a mock up of my mouth as it would be. There are still some questions over the state of my tooth under an existing Crown at the front of my mouth. He took some more impressions and pictures. Put temporary fillings in 2 cavities and gave me a whitening kit that I must use for 6 hours a day (night for me). See him in 2 weeks.
Put the gel on that night with the molds, it was fine.

Sat 26th Jan 2019
Early evening when eating a chocolate bar the crown I have had in for at least 15 years came out. Also the temp filling. There is almost no tooth left where the crown was so that's going to be a problem. Messaged the surgery asking for appointment. Dentist phone back. I go in 9:40am Monday 28th. (Just call me toothless)

Monday 28th Jan 2019
Saw Hisham Elsayed, He put better temp filling in and built up a temp tooth where crown was. All back to normal. Great work.

Wednesday 30th Jan 2019
3rd spell of tooth whitening last night and there is a noticeable improvement. No in any way wonderful but I will soon know what shade of crown I should go for.

Friday 8th February 2019
Mr Moustafa explored my upper left canine. It had has a part root canal. They can drill it out completely before putting a temp cap on.
BAD NEWS it will not support a bridge as we had hoped so It looks like I will need a dreaded implant at the end of all of this. More expense probable about another 1K
I was asked to continue the whitening but I am almost out of get and there are areas I cannot get white because my gums hurt, the lower front teeth are smaller than they should be. He intends to build these up with the new bonded fillings, O cannot see him being able to match a good colour but so long as the function and are creamy white I am happy.

Monday 11th February 2019.

Hisham Elsayed did the root canal on UL3 took an hour but was mainly painless. He said he had got to the bottom and widened the original canal filling out. It is packed with antibiotic and temp filling for now. Go back on Tues 19th Feb 2:30 for him to fill it ready for a crown. Hate this numb lip. He said I may get some pain tonight.
Well there was no pain at all. Got to give it to them, they are experts at what they do.
Been worrying over what to do with the missing tooth next to it. I fear getting an implant.

Friday 15th February 2019

Moustafa  - Spent 4 hours having my upper front teeth prepared for eventual crowns. then my lower middle teeth  built up with composite.
The temporary crowns are soft and very large feel so wrong not like teeth.
The lower right canine can out while eating my first meal. It was too large anyway. The composite build ups also feel false and prone to breaking.
Can't see me lasting weeks with these. Can't eat with back teeth and scared to eat with front. Going back in the morning anyway, for more work, will have to express my concern. Scared as hell now. I know the proper crowns will be much better but I did not think the temps would be on piece acrylic.

Saturday February 16th 2019

Moustafa, went to work in the upper temp crowns separating them and did the same with the lower composite teeth. He made a new lower canine for the one that came out and adjusted everything. It felt a little better. Instead of moving on to the core buildups of my molars he decided enough was enough and I could wait till next Friday.
For the next 2 days I went through periods of anxiety as the teeth still feel too big, I also cannot eat much and started to feel a bi unwell. However by the 3rd day I was getting used to the teeth. Problem is food seems to stick to them they have a rough feeling and hurt my tongue. I have also started grinding my teeth at night. The lower canines are too big they stick out like fangs. I have also been feeling very tired. No end in sight to this misery.

Friday 22nd February 2019

Moustafa started work on my upper right quadrant. 1st he removed an existing crown. Unfortunately there was a lot of decay and after that was removed my tooth was what he called a 50/50 case could be saved or removed. We decided to save it as it can be used as a post for a bridge.
Next her removed the amalgam fillings. The big tooth next to the crown was also quite devastated by decay by hidden decay. After removal there is hope it can be crowned. The next tooth only needed a small white filling and the small tooth next to my middle teeth crown was also filled in the same manner. The work was painless and feels natural. I'm happy with that.  Things are starting to come together. Lots more suffering to endure.
To finish he polished the rough edges on my front teeth.

Saturday 23rd February 2019

About 9pm mild toothache in the area of the decimated tooth and new crown. He did say I may get some pain but I don't know why it has taken so long to start. I will see what the night brings.

Tuesday 26th February 2019

Hishram at 10:15, second appointment on the root canal upper front left. This was a tough one. Despite injection there was pain as he dug deeper. I thought it was just to fill it after removing the antibiotic but he seemed to be poking around for ages so I assume there was more to be removed. I was warned it may be painful and eating using the temp crowns may cause more pain for up to a week.
Worst treatment yet and it was less than an hour.

Wednesday 27th February 2019

The canal work hurt a bit last night and this morning but it seems to have settled quickly. I'm either lucky or they are very good. Getting used to eating with my front teeth only.

Friday 1st March 2019

Had the front bridgework removed. Moustafa did more work on the root canal area before putting a new set of bridgework in place. They are slightly better with an individual feeling but the bit covering the root work feels tenuous and painful. I'm a bit worried about that.

Saturday 2nd March 2019

Decided to have the lower left quadrant done today as there were only a core build up and a crown to replace. Moustafa tooks some new impressions first. then went to work on the old gold crown. Once removed he began to drill and it was very painful despite the injection. He gave me another one and moved to the core build up that was no problem. When he moved back to the old crown site it still hurt like hell. As there was only a small amount of work left I accepted the pain. It was however very tiring but the replacement crown  is in place.
He showed me the horrible amount of decay that built up under the old crown. only half a tooth is left so it will be too weak for a bridge. I had already resigned myself to a gap.
The area under the crown is aching. Will need to give it a few days to settle I think.
Note.... It is aching again 2nd March. A mild throbbing pain. I may lose that tooth as well leaving me toothless on the lower left.
Bad news.

Tuesday 5th March 2019

The lower left canine temp crown snapped while I was eating some crisps. Phoned dentist and left message. Need to know if I should go in for a temp fix.

Friday 8th March 2019 Saturday 9th March 2019
Upper left quadrant and lower left quadrant prepped and temporary bridges placed. This was a series of long work with a lot of injections, especially on Saturday. Mr Moustafa worked for 4 hours I felt as though I was being waterboarded with all of the drilling to grind down my teeth. The lower small bridge was rushed in my opinion. This was confirmed when I tried to eat with it. The bridge was too tight and a piece broke off then the whole thing fell off.
I was also feeling quite ill that night, had shakes and headaches. Had to go to bed early. Felt fine in the morning.

Monday 11th March 2019
Emergency apptmt with Hisham, He made a rough temporary bridge to protect the stumps. Will get a better one when I go back.

Tuesday 12th March 2019
Early this morning my lower left back molar started to hurt bad the ache was bearable but seemed to spread along my jaw. When I got up the pain eased to a very dull ache but it looks like I will need at least a root canal maybe a removal. That will leave that part of the mouth with no teeth, sob.
When Mr Moustafa Removed my old cap there was a lot of decay that needed removing so it looks like a lost cause. Also looking like at least £20k now.

Wednesday 13th March 2019

The pain in the molar has all but gone. Not taking many pain killers so it has to be the anti biotics. Looks like I may be ok.

Thursday 14th March 2019

Lower Molar on other side of mouth was painful tonight. Went on for some time then just faded. Don't know what to make of it.

Friday 15th March 2019
5pm while eating a chicken bap part of my upper left front cap came out the three front teeth were not damaged. I bought some temporary fixer from chemist and reglued it in place. Hope it will hold until Mondays appointment. Getting sick of this.

Monday 18th March 2019
Mr Moustafa repaired the upper bridge that came out. Then he went to work preparing teeth in upper right quadrant. This was a pretty harrowing time as I felt like I was drowning a lot of the time. Got through that and had the temp bridge made and input. It feels really good.

Friday 22nd  March 2019
Lower right quadrant prepped not as bad as last one, maybe because the better trained nurse was there. She knows my problems better. Took Mr Moustafa 30 mins to polish the new bridge then fit it. Also have an individual cap on the very back tooth. He said he has used a stronger glue on tht one but I have to keep an eye on it.

So it's done. all teeth prepped and temps fitted. I have a full set to eat with again. Its a lot better but does not have that real feel to it. They are rough around the edges in places but I can eat normally again. There was some pain on the lower right side friday night and very early on Saturday morning but its all gone now. Much better than I thought it would be.

I need to decide on the final colour now. this current shade is a little yellow so I might go up one shade again. Both Mr Moustafa and myself were pleased. I have a couple of appoint's  to take impressions and refine before He goes to Egypt for 3 weeks. So I will get a break from all this as well. Let's hope it all holds together.

Next appt 3rd May for a check and to book CT scans prior to deciding on implants. The upper right tooth that had old crown removed and was 50/50 gives me some discomfort when chewing harder things. We will see how that goes.

Monday 15th April 2019

On Saturday the lower right bridge came out, temp refixed myself. Been to have it put back in today by Hisham. The bridge no longer contacts with the uppers but that may be for the better for now.
I do not like the lower canines being so long. Will mention it on my next visit.

Tuesday 23rd April 2019

Yesterday the Upper front left bridge came out. Could not refix as the cement I had did not work. Was a pretty bad day and night. Hisham Refixed it today. I think at least one more is ready to come out but I will try to fix myself as this is getting ridiculous. I feel like an idiot keep going back like this.

Friday 3rd May 2019
Quick aptmt with Mr Moustafa after his return from Egypt. Told him about increasing sensitivity, especially in the upper left quadrant. He said gums had receded a bit. I think the temp crowns were too short. He used the build up filling to plug the gaps. It has worked. He will now make apptment for ct scan. Got that sorted for Thursday 9th. Will cost £95 at a Kingston Park surgery. Booked appt with Mr Moustafa for the following day to discuss removal and implants of upper left front tooth and lower right molar. He said it would take about 4 hours for both or 3 hrs for one. I want this over so I will go for both if the scan is ok.

Monday 6th May 2019
Have had pain in upper right gum for couple of days. Tonight it turned into throbbing ache and spread to lower right side as well. Sat it out took 2 paracetamol and it went away.  Hoping this is just temp swelling. Think Colitis is starting.
Four months in now with no end in sight. More pain on the way with long recovery times.
Not even sure if we will finish by Christmas at this rate, could this last a whole year????

Thursday 9th May 2019

Scan done at Kingston Park Dental Practice 10.00 am. To be e mailed to Gosforth for tomorrows apptmt at 10.45

Friday 10th May 2019
Short appointment, the scans are fine it's a go for the implants. Getting both done at once and hope they can do stage one and two at the same time, that will save on healing time and more cutting of the gums.

Saturday 1st June 2019
The day arrived, I was quite nervous arrived at 12:30 to have an antibiotic drink first. Not long after that I was taken  into the downstairs surgery where Ahmed removed the lower bridge and used a drill to split it in two. Then after freezing her halved the tooth to make it easier to remove.
We moved up to the upstairs surgery which was now like an operation theatre they were all in full surgical gowns and very careful about what they touched. The lower tooth had a curved root that made it difficult to remove but with some hard work it came free in one piece. Cleaning up the area before drilling my jaw took a while the drilling was quick and totally painless. The work to place the implant went well and I ended up with a titanium cap to allow the healing and bone growth. I have bovine bone in there now. Bottom one continued to bleed while the top tooth was removed and the implant put in. That went quick and easily.

I was hot and tired. It took about 3:30 to do the lot £4250 for that with the cost of the final implant still to pay for.
Job well done. Some initial pain at night was easily killed with normal paracetamol. Now I wait 2 weeks  to have stitches out and move on to final crowns.

Sunday 9th June 2019

First 48 hours I suffered flu like symptoms, hots and colds running nose cough, aching bones headaches as severe fatigue. It went away eventually.

Have had some rough days, in particular mornings and nights. The lower implant heats up, the gum swells and the pain is..... Well more than I expected. Still taking painkillers on occasion. The upper implant is no problem, even took the stitches out after 6 days they came loose and were easy to pull out. This morning there was no pain this morning, a first so I thought it was time for an update here. Hoping I am past the infection stage but will keep on the constant cleaning regime until Friday when I see Ahamed for a review at 2pm. Need to discuss final implants, it's been long enough now.

Friday 5th July 2019

Well the implants have settled down completely and I went for my next procedure. Mt Moustafa was going to replace the temp bridges with new whiter ones  but after consulting the people who make the crowns he decided to go straight to the preparation stage. This involved a 4 hour procedure on my uppers which I have to say was hell. There was a lot more drilling and shaping to get the teeth ready so I had more injections. Then more impressions then more drilling and shaping. The next thing was completely unexpected. It involved a special cord which is dipped in a chemical to prevent gums bleeding. This is inserted between the gums and the teeth to get a clear view of the area where the crown will go to.
I suppose if it was just one or two teeth it would be no problem but for all my uppers it involved 4 hours in the chair and considerable pain.
After photos and more impressions, my temp teeth were built up to help close any gaps and glued back on.
Two of my teeth are very sensitive now. the 50/50 tooth more so and as the injections wore off that tooth started to ache and give jolts of nerve pain. It does not seem to be a pressure pain so i'm hoping it will wear off. BUT. It could be an electrical type pain as it is a jolt. Here's hoping the crown with cure that.
My gums and lips are swollen and painful now. I feel dizzy and have a mild headache. Tomorrow will reveal if i'm in trouble or not.
Actually the little jolt pain is not a big deal I could live with that no bother.
Go back next week for more torture.