Tammy's Recipes

I, too, dreaded going to the dentist and didn't go for several years. However, I found a new dentist who is very understanding, especially when I told him that I am a "chicken" regarding any dental or medical procedures. Since I told him that at my first visit, he explains any procedures upfront so that there are no surprises.

Just be honest with them about your fears and they'll help you work through them.

Anne

Sorry that you are having problems w/ your tooth. With a history of dental issues, while I understand that you do not have dental insurance, I'd have found alternative ways to minimally have my 6 month cleaning-is there a dental college nearby or within driving distance? Is there a state dental insurance plan available? Private dental insurance? Certainly worht investigating, even if the ultimate decision is not to choose any of the aforementioned.
NOT taking care of an ongoing problem, is not prudent, and may lead to more $$ in the long run. MOST dentists around here will work w/ you and allow monthly installments for more extensive work.
I have to ask: do the children have any dental care?
Hope that it proves to be nothing serious. : )

You should look in you area for a college that have a dental hygiene program or a dental school. They are always in need of patients and you can get your cleanings and x-rays for a minimal price compared to the dentist. If they do find something that needs the attention of your dentist you can take your x-rays with you so you don't have to pay for them at full price. The school around me is $35 for cleaning and x-rays even if you need multiple appointments. Also x-rays during breastfeeding should be fine.
Esther

Yes, it's safe to have xrays when breastfeeding. It's safe even to have them while pregnant, just make sure the lead apron is over you to protect the rapidly growing embryonic or fetal cells.

Good luck at the dentist. Maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised, and it won't be as bad as you think.

I've always had cruddy gums. I started taking fish oil pills last summer, and when I went to my dentist, they were astonished to find that my gums had improved! My husband has been taking fish oil, too, and while his gums were never as bad as mine, they had receded a bit. Well, after taking the fish oil for a couple of months, his gums actually started to grow back over the parts that had receded. Again, they were astonished. There is a tiny bit of info on this in the medical literature. I suspect that within the next few years, more studies will be done and all dentists will be handing out fish oil. In the meantime, fish oil is very safe to use and should give you other benefits. I even did some research, worried that there would be some contaminants in it, and what I concluded after looking at some studies of different brands, is that the vast majority of fish oil on the market are actually safer to eat than the equivalent amount of fish.

Dental x-rays while breastfeeding? Not a problem And you can ask the person taking your x-rays for a gown/shield to wear while they are taking your x-rays, if they don't offer one automatically (my dentist puts one one me, regardless)

I would imagine x-rays are safe when breasfeeding, though I have not researched it. My daughter had an x-ray on her pelvis for her hip displaysia at 6 months and 9 months old (they did sonograms on her up to that point). I wore a lead vest held stood next to the table to make sure she didn't roll off.

I didn't get my teeth cleaned for a very long time. When I was pregnant with my second child, I went in because we finally had insurance. I had periodontal disease and the cleaning was soooo expensive. They numbed me and did it in four sections (on four different visits). It would have been just as economical to have paid for cleanings every six months out of my own pocket.
Sometimes trying to save money ends up costing more. I hope it doesn't work that way for you.
Good luck!

I went 6 years without dental care and a visible tooth actually broke so I finally went in. I was expecting the worst, and so were the hygienist and dentist.It was great. They fixed my tooth with a filling, not a crown. Then fixed two other fillings that had "gone bad" and other than that I was fine! I lost my fear of dentists. I just need to floss more. I'm blessed that we *finally* have insurance after 9 years of marriage [and 4 children].
Meggan

Hey Tammy!

I didn't go to the dentist for 5 or 6 yrs. Same reasons as you...money in a nut shell.

I finally went after experiencing some tenderness and pain. I thought I had a cavity. Turns out all i needed was a good cleaning!

I had a dentist where they did just the necessities in one visit. Exam and x-rays. cleaning at another. that was when I hadn't gone in 4 yrs and was having problems w/my wisdom teeth. (infections gallour). After 5 or 6 yrs, I had dental insurance.

X-rays are generally safe when you are not pregnant. I never heard anything bad about having x-rays done while breastfeeding. If you are concerned, call the office. They would know. but I'm 99% sure it's ok.

I'm glad you bit the bullet (as they say lol). I can't talk tho, I've been needing to go to the eye dr for 5 yrs now lol. I keep saying I'm going, I have insurance!

Good thing about dental work tho Tammy (one good thing), they usually have to do it in steps.

maybe it's nothing, but I've been very blessed, in almost 33 yrs, I've only had to have my wisdom teeth removed. Of course I've had a few cavities, but it's been 15 plus years or more, since I had one.

Good luck!

~Jules

It is perfectly safe to have xrays while breastfeeding. Most offices now have digital xrays which are even lower radiation than traditional as well. I was told those are safe when pregnant, but I declined since I didn't want to take any risks while pregnant. But while breastfeeding there is no risk to your breastmilk.

about getting my teeth cleaned. If they find something wrong, is numbing okay for pregnancy? I've heard both ways, so I was just wondering.

Oh poor Tammy! I hope that you are lucky and the pain is just because your teeth are a little bit sensitive. Sometimes this happens if you have a light cold or headache?

Make sure your dentist knows you are a cash paying customer. Often times, they will offer a sliding scale for such patients.

I do think, especially with children, you should look into obtaining some kind of dental insurance. The slightest infection in a persons mouth can cause real damage.

I work with a lady who had a tooth infection that eventually infected her heart and she had to have heart surgery. Sounds extreme, but it really happens.

Good luck! I'm sure all will go well.
Jessica

My husband is self-employed so we don't have dental insurance either. I have always made it a prority to have our teeth cleaned every 6 months. My parents ingrained it in me to take good care of my teeth.

Check with your dentist about payment options. I know ours even gives a discount for self payment because they don't have to go through all the insurance filings.

Hope your teeth are fine. But also consider for the future that routine cleanings, even once a year, may help prevent larger dental issues.

You should be just fine with the x-rays - I was IMMENSELY pregnant last summer, and even though it is 'perfectly safe' to have the x rays taken when pregnant if you wear the apron, I didn't. I figured, I had a month to go: I have great teeth, so unless something was massively amiss, the x rays could wait a year. The only inconvenience this year was the Hygenist wanted me to leave the baby in his carrier oustide in the hallway of a very busy dental clinic - I said no.

And as far as periodontal disease, you really really REALLY need to have cleanings at LEAST once a year. I'm not gonna lecture, but girl......do you want dentures at 30? I'd recommend checking with your medical insurance (you do have this, right?), they may very well cover cleanings, and other dental fixes if you do not have dental insurance. Also, periodontal disease is linked to a higher risk of heart disease later in life - as healthy as ya'll try to eat at your home, would you want to do this to your hard won heart health?? Just R-E-L-A-X.....you'll be fine. :)

Don't dread the dentist - I was hopping for joy about a month and a half ago when I got my teeth cleaned finally. :) Just use good toothpaste (I've used Colgate Total for years - still no cavities and I'm 26, and an avid chocoholic), Listerine or that Crest mouthwash, floss daily, and you're good to go!

Andrea over at Wandering through Leaves of Grass (http://deedle21.wordpress.com)

Not to scare you but I even needed a root canal while nursing. The medicine they use to numb you is local and wears off very quickly. For dental pain afterward, they said I could take Advil (my OB had written this for after pains so I knew it would be acceptable if necessary)or Tylenol. I have been told not to take Advil if pregnant - in case some people have closely spaced blessings. I have found my dentist is great about finding out what is safe when nursing and I just ask up front. I have 7 children and have spent a good portion of the last decade pregnant and or nursing. I have found that eventually you will have to visit the dentist. -Melissa

Oooh, I SO need to make an appointment for myself tooooo. But I haven't done it for exactly the same reasons that you haven't done it. (sigh) Good job making THE CALL. Maybe I'll do a blog post soon too, about how I made THE CALL. maybe...

You just did a post about making your own toothpaste. If you have periodontal disease you may want to check with your dentist about that. Periodontal disease is serious and you are pretty young for it. There are certain mouthwashes and toothpastes that can help with it. Please check with your dentist.

Hey Tammy. I know what you mean about not wanting to go to the dentist. I don't enjoy it either. However, you have to take care of your teeth. You don't want to lose your teeth and end up with dentures at a young age. I would look into the insurance you have and then seek out alternatives as others have mentioned like going to a nearby college or clinic. If you have insurance through Joshua's work, call their Human Resources Department and have them explain exactly what benefits you have and what is available to you. That is their job. No lecture from me but try to get a cleaning at least once a year for your own health. Saving money and being frugal is great and I commend that, but not at the risk of sacrificing your health. In the long run, you could end up paying even more money out of your pocket if you don't exercise care now. If you wear the apron while having an x-ray, you will be fine. Keep flossing, brushing, and using Listerine (my dentist says its the best) daily. Those efforts will pay off for you. Glad you made the call to go on Thursday. Let us know what happens. I wish you the best.

It is good to hear I am not the only procrastinator about going to the dentist. I hate it. We don't have dental insurance either. I did go a year ago to have my teeth cleaned after not having gone for...ummmm...I hate to admit it...9 years! I had a HUGE crater in my tooth. Unfortunately, I had to have it pulled. The good news was my poor gums I had as a teenager are doing great and the dentist's assistant complimented me on them and she was also shocked to find out how long it had been since I have had my teeth cleaned, because they weren't very dirty. I have been using baking soda salt toothpaste for a while and I think that is what keeps my teeth clean and gums healthy. I just make sure not to brush too hard and to do a good job of getting my gums, too.

I hope your appt. goes well. I use to be so afraid of dentist and doctors. My poor parents!! :) Anyway, I did get over that fear after wearing braces, but I understand where you are coming from completely! ~Tanya

Here is another possibility. I was dreading going to the dentist because I had a tooth that was sensitive to cold and sometimes would twinge when I bit down on it. It turned out that it wasn't a cavity at all, but the dentist recommended that I switch to Sensitive toothpaste. Apparently your teeth get somewhat porous as you get older and sensitive toothpaste fills in the little porous areas. Guess what? No more pain!

oh this is so nice, between having babies & no insurance I haven't gone too. I am really going to work on getting this done this month. thanks,

I've waited for years, and last year I found out that I half of my teeth need fillings and 5 need crowns and we have not been able to do this.

Nip it early girls!

Decay from cavities will spread!!!!!!!

And the sugar habits will cause an acid that will eat into your teeth....

And over-brushing fast and hard will strip the enamel!

I encaourage you all to pray and make this a bigger priority while you are young.

Have a yearly yard sale....ask for $$$ for your birthdays, be creative but don't slack on your teeth!

Way to go Tammy! Get it done girly!!

ANON

Tammy,
That's wonderful that you took the step of making your appointment even though fearful. I can not stress enough ho important regular visits are. I neglected going for 3 years (despite having dental coverage the entire time!). The end of last year I started having awful tooth pain and ended up needing 2 root canals and 2 crowns. And just 4 weeks ago I had another crown put on and still need one more! This neglect of mine has already cost us thousands of my husband's hard earned money even with our dental insurance! I can't tell you how sorry I was and how I had to ask my husband's forgiveness for my laziness and neglect in the area of our dental care. I have a VERY understanding and forgiving husband! Our whole family of six is now going for our regular cleanings and checkups. I'm so glad you're going to the dentist and I pray all will be well with your teeth!

I just went to a breastfeeding seminar with Dr. Thomas Hale just a couple weeks go, and he assured us that x-rays are perfectly safe for breastfeeding women.

I personally would opt to wait on them if I was pregnant (this is just my opinion!), but while nursing, I wouldn't be concerned.

Blessings,
Jenny

Those who commented that tooth/gum disease can be dangerous to your general health were exactly right. Tooth/gum disease can travel to your heart and cause major problems. I agree that it's good to be frugal, but dental care isn't a place to cut corners. I don't mean to yell at you, a lot of people don't realize how dangerous it is to ignore your dental health and I would hate to see you let something go so long that it could cause you problems. Good luck at the dentist, I'm sure it will be just fine!

We also have no option of group coverage dental insurance. Using a dental discount card is an alternative option. With a family of five, I have found the over all savings is worth the monthly expense. You can read more about it on their secure site

www.procardinternational.com
Access code: StacyH2677

There is a look up on the site to make sure there is a dentist in your area that accepts the card. It is not for everyone but something to take a look at.

Good Luck,
Stacy

Thank you all for the input... some of it was very encouraging and I'm hoping for the best ;) Thanks for the prayers!

I do know that gum disease is linked with heart/artery health as well, and I am hoping to get back on track with regular dental cleanings, as I have a sweet husband who is more than willing for us to spend the money on good dental health. :)

In fact, the day before I posted this, Joshua asked me, "So, have you called the dentist yet??" and I said "It's on my list for this week..." He laughed, because I have been saying that for months now! ;) He was surprised when he found out I actually made an appointment!! :)

Also, I know I had/have an irrational fear related to this whole topic. I'm not really afraid of the dentist or the pain or even the expense, but rather the whole "unknown" aspect and the longer I waited, the more afraid I became about what "might" be happening in my mouth and so I started just NOT thinking about it at all! :P BAD, I know.

I'll be sure to update after my appointment. :| 

I definitely would not get x-rays while pregnant, despite a large number of folks saying they are safe. Nine months doesn't seems a long time to wait for them. It doesn't seem worth the risk to me, unless there was some kind of medical emergency which necessitated them. As far getting x-rays while breastfeeding, my dentist advised me NOT to get them while nursing. I go for regular dental check-ups, every six months, but only allow x-rays every 4-5 years.

I hadn't been to the dentist in years, and while I was pregnant with our last child I wound up with a gaping hole in one of my teeth :P. I wound up needing a root canal WHILE pregnant. I really didn't want to do that, but was told that the risks of infection, etc were more hazardous to the baby than the drugs they used to kill pain while I had the root canal and crown work done. So, I had to have X-rays and drugs while pregnant, and baby is fine, but I wouldn't recommend the whole ordeal to anyone!! Go to the dentist now while you are not pregnant, and try to get all your work done in between pregnancies. And like others have said, taking care of things early will save you lots of money (as we found out the hard way :( )

Good luck!

I haven't been to the dentist in 2.5 years. The last visit, they told me I had 14 cavities. :( I'm sure I have more now--I can even see them, but how much more metal in my mouth do I need?? I'm afraid they'll want to pull them all out and give me false teeth by the time I'm 35.

The unfair thing about all this is, the extent of my sugar intake is very low, much, much lower than most normal Americans, and here I am the one with a mouthful of cavities.

I just went to the dentist last week for a cleaning since there was a bit of discoloration in a few places on my teeth next to my gum. It wasn't a cavity and it didn't come off with polishing but the dentist said he's seen that in some patients in the area. He did find two other cavities though(I was a bit surprised as I think I've only had one cavity and that was a while back) so I'll be going back to the dentist in a few weeks for fillings.

We have no insurance as well, so dental appointments have not been a priority. I had to go yesterday as I had been having some severe problems because of infection. They had to dig a tooth out of me and I have to go back next week. It looks like I'll lose about half my teeth due to decay. Please take care of those toothies!

I am so happy to hear you found a friendly office to go to and are taking charge of your dental health!

It is absolutely safe to have radiographs while nursing ( I nursed my second for 12 months) Not while pregnant... obviously.

Did you know that periodontal disease is communicable? as well as cavities.. the bacteria that causes each ( two different ones) can be transfered to your husband and children through saliva. Also our babies are not born with those bacterias- we give them to them! Shocking isn't it!

I imagine you will wind up having a scaling and root planing ( aka SRP, deep cleaning) and in our office we prescribe Periostat with that procedure. You SHOULD NOT take that while pg or nursing. It is a tetracycline derivative. ( be ware- the SRP is a gouge to the pocket book...although very important to do)

good for you! and get on your flossing regimen as well as the boys! As soon as teeth touch- they need to be flossed in kids.
Please email me if you have any specific questions- maybe I can clarify things for you more...

Heather, RDH hkammien@yahoo.com
Proud of you!

P>S> I really liked the suggestion someone else gave to go to a local hygiene school or dental school- it is an excellent value! While in our office ( N. IL) an SRP runs $1200, at my hygiene school it was $5!!!!! And you will get the very best treatment ever- it takes much more time since the students are checked frequently in the process ( for instance it may take 4-6 visits @ 3 hours a pop) But I tell you, it will be an excellent cleaning or the student won't be allowed to dismiss you until it is!