tbmomof3

Hello there. I'm hoping I can get some insight and personal experiences on having a full extraction done. I'm not really sure what I am to expect and would like to learn more if I can.

So some back story. I'm 25 and grew up in an extremely poor house. We just couldn't afford dentist visits so they didn't happen. I moved out on my own at 18 hoping to get a decent job with benefits and get this stuff fixed. It didn't pan out the way I'd hoped. 6 years later I've got 3 little ones and was finally in a position with a good insurance plan that gave me the ability to finally tackle this problem straight on. Sadly it's too late to save most of my teeth. I'm usually battling infections in my gums and my diet is largely effected by what I'm able to chew.

I go in next month to be put to sleep in the hospital. I will have all of my upper teeth removed. I have a few that have shattered so bad they are flush with my gums. Xray has confirmed I have an impacted wisdom tooth up there that didn't come through like the rest for some reason. The plan is to have 19 teeth pulled. 15 of which are on the top and 4 on the bottom in the back. 3 on the right 1 on the left. I will be fitted with an immediate denture for the top and will get a partial denture on the bottom. I believe this is also immediate but need to confirm at my appointment next week. Added to this I will have a few minor fillings to my lower front teeth.

I know I'm going to be a mess for a while once they are removed. My husband is going to take 5-7 days off of work to help out at home. We have 3 kids and only 1 is school aged so I know I will need the help.

Will a week be enough for me to be fully capable again? How soon after do you think I would be up to going out and about in public?

I don't imagine I'll feel much like eating for a while but I've got a blender for smoothies and will be stocking up on soups. Anyone have any other good suggestions on stuff to keep me full?

I've read that taking extra Vit C and calcium is helpful with the healing process so I will be adding that to my current Vit D and Bs that I take daily.

I'm pretty certain I will need to wear my denture for at least the first 24 hours. I've heard horror stories about this. People that have taken them out and couldn't get them back in or it effecting the ability to swallow and deal with saliva. Should I just accept I'll probably be a bloody drooly mess for a while and try to not let it freak me out?

I am a bit worried about the dentists ability to remove all of my teeth and fragments. I'm really expecting there to be some bits left behind as I'm not sure how she can know about and get all of the bits that are in there.

What is the process leading up to the OR? Are there any tests that need to be done to be put to sleep for such a thing? I've been put out before but not for long. I believe I'm expected to be under for 2 hours for this work though know that largely depends on how smoothly things go.

I think one of my biggest fears about the process is how my jaw is going to handle this. As I mentioned I have infections in my gums and am certain it effects by jaw bone. Could this weaken my jaw enough to cause problems while extracting? Or should my teeth me weak enough at this point that they won't put up a "fight"? It may sound silly but I have fears of a cracked jaw or something similar.

Any insight is appreciated. Looking to know about the procedure and the aftercare. Any handy tips to help make things easier on me? Things to avoid?

Thanks a lot folks. I'm terrified of dentists and while I've found an amazing one it still makes it hard to face something so large.