When I was 6 years old I knocked out my 2 front teeth....2 front adult teeth to be exact! It was just another day at school (well actually it was Rodeo day so it was kind of special) and our class was outside on the playground when it happened. It was 24 years ago and I still remember it clear as a bell.
A bunch of us were playing on a contraption that was soooo much fun....it was two tractor tires stacked upon each other with sand in the middle to hold the wooden pole in place. On top of that wooden pole was a do hickey (not sure of the technical term) that had about six ropes attached, it was those ropes that my friends and I were hanging onto as we ran around the tractor tire and when at the right speed we would jump and hold onto the rope and swing around barely above the tires. Yep you guessed it, I slipped and let go of my rope mid air and landed face first into the tractor tire! Knocked the one tooth out completely while the other dangled on by a string, well actually a gum. ;)
The teacher was in such shock at what was happening that it was another six year old who took me into the washroom and went and got the secretary. It was quite the chaos after that, there was blood and kids who were curious, and of course my six year old friend. So my mom was called...greaaate call the woman who passes out at the sight of blood...my tooth was put into a container of milk, and we were on our way to find a dentist who would help a girl out! (There was a dentist in our small little town, but he refused to help...Thanks for your help)
Finally a Dentist in Red Deer was willing to give me a look. Well to make a long story short...my teeth were sewn back in and my mom had to bring me back in every 2 weeks, then once a month, and then finally every 6 weeks. About 8 years later I got headbunted by an adorable little cousin (good thing he was cute) and that's the end to having my own teeth! It was decided that I was too young for implants, so the next best thing was false teeth. Also known as a flipper, partial plate, a pain in the ass.
Roughly four years ago I took the plunge and started my journey to getting myself implants...it was a process, but it was so worth it! Because it had been so long since I had actual teeth there had been bone loss, meaning that I had to have bone grafting done in my mouth before they could install the steel posts, and then wait about 6-8 months for the implant procedure. There were many consultations, x-rays, driving back and forth, long hours in a dentist chair, a lot more money than I was expecting to pay (always get your quote in writing with a signature!), and numerous days of pain associated to the surgeries...but it was soooooo worth all of it!
The point I'm trying to get at is that nothing worth waiting for comes easily! Chances are you won't lose your good health quite so fast, but when you do have it, you have to remember to take care of it.
I love my new teeth! The story of my teeth comes to play with the story of my health. I haven't always been the size I am now, I've actually been yo-yoing for the past 10 years...I go up I go down I go up I go down...I've tried quick fixes - they work really well then you gain it all back + some... It took me 22 years to get my new teeth, but it will be a lifetime of taking care of them the proper way to make sure I get to keep them! This also being true for my health, it's about the lifestyle changes and mindset to maintain it...which is exactly what I plan on doing!
I now understand the frustrations my own mom had associated to dentist visits and the bills that tag along, the waiting game for appointments to start, the drive to get there, the hours of missed work, having to deal with insurance companies...Thank you...
No comments:
Post a Comment