Teething Trouble
January 6, 2009 at 3:18 pm | In Eating disorders, Health Hazard, Throwing Up | 28 CommentsTags: anorexia, bulimia, Eating disorders, goals, purging, recovery, teeth
Oh Dear, what can the matter be? Lola’s teeth are hurting bilatterly.
I think that is the correct meaning of bilatterly? Hurting on both sides? And believe me they are. Stinging like I have a mouthful of tinfoil covered batteries, ouch!
Of course it is, sadly, self inflicted damage. A good decade they have decayed. Over ten years of rinsing your mouth out with stomach acid several times a day, is not redeemed by a few good days of abstinence from the vomitorium. It does though, leave me in another little pickle.
I need to start taking care of myself better. I mean really sort out my health. Neglecting to look after myself is just an offshoot of self harm. I mean in the long run, aside from the sudden violence of the action, what is the difference between taking a kitchen implement to your arm, and letting your teeth crumble to dust? I need to take responsibility for the damage my ED has done to my body and face up to it. That was already on the cards.
Unfortunately I was under the impression I could choose which order to do these recovery goals, but I have a horrible suspicion this might begin with a trip to the Dentist. And for me? That is just like starting off overcoming a fear of flying by being strapped to the wing of a jumbo jet, and flown to Australia.
We’ve discussed the perils of purging before, and I briefly skimmed over my terror at a trip to the dentist. I am not good with being touched by strangers, especially something as intimate as lying back in a big fuck of chair, in a room reeking of disinfectant, and having a stranger rummage about in my mouth. It’s a prospect made somewhat less thrilling by the prospect of finding out just how much damage I have done, how much this will cost me to get fixed, and of course the big pain problem.
What is going to be the real problem here? Well for the first time in over a decade, I am eating, regularly, without fear of ingredients or repercussions on my physique. I am enjoying food, and I am embracing it into my life in every way I can. But this is beginning to be hampered by pain. Chewing is beginning to hurt, and this will soon impact upon my eating. I am also grinding my teeth at night and clenching my jaw, I suspect this is not down to stress, but down to Tally. However, either way, I’m going to have to do something about the state of my mouth.
The trouble this is going to cause me, in stress, and in emotion takes a back seat when I think of the spanner it might throw in the recovery wheel. It’s damn hard to fight to eat if eating is bloody painful from having root canal (whatever that is) or feeling violated from latex gloves twiddling with your molars. It’s a really ill timed development. I want to bury my head in the sand and hope it goes away. Then I can just stick to eating and enjoying my life. Sadly I suspect cracked and chipped decaying teeth do not undergo spontaneous recovery.
Then there is also the issue of finding a dentist. I’m not on an NHS list. The last time I went to a dentist was around the time all you needed to remove a tooth was a piece of string and a heavy door. OK, I exaggerate, but I have long since slipped out of any offical pool of services. I am thinking this might be yet another NHS battle to fight. Chance of finding a dentist with space to treat me? Slim. Chance of finding a dentist who has knowledge of how sensitive ED recovery is? Oh Please.
Anyone know how to navigate the NHS Dental Services with an ED? Or just at all?
Please don’t let this fuck me up. Please oh please oh please. I want to get better, and this is a threat I hadn’t banked on coming up so soon!
Lola x
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Are any of your family registered?
When my gran moved to near us recently, my mum was worried they wouldn’t be able to get her a dentist. Because she was a family member of a current customer, they put her straight onto their books.
Might help
Comment by Chris Rigby — January 6, 2009 #
Hi If you go on this site http://www.nhs.uk/Servicedirectories/pages/servicesearch.aspx. anbd click dentist comes up with dentist in your area. Then if you click on one will say whether they are accepting nhs patients
Comment by Lareve — January 6, 2009 #
P.S- root canal is where they drill a hole under your tooth and remove the nerve or part of and then put a filling in- well thats what I think is happening when i have it this month
Comment by Lareve — January 6, 2009 #
I’m not sure if this works all over the country, but where I am if you phone up the Strategic Health Authority, they will give you a list of dentists who are currently taking on NHS patients. They also might have information about dentists who have experience treating people who have or are recovering from EDs.
Differently
PS Yes you’ve used the word bilateral correctly.
Comment by differentlysane — January 6, 2009 #
I’m not scared of the dentist particularly, but the invasion of personal space freaks me out. I literally start shaking when he leans in close. I have the same thing with the optician. I don’t like people I don’t know getting too close to my head…Paranoid, me…? You have my sympathies anyway! x
Comment by cellar_door — January 6, 2009 #
Mmm, this is the one thing that scares me about all the purging that I have been doing of late. To be honest, my teeth never have been very strong and I dread to think what’s going to happen to them in the long-run.
Having said that, at least I am fortunate enough to be registered with an NHS dentist and I do, regularly, attend my 6 monthly check-ups.
I do hope that you are able to get yourself registered with an NHS dentist, babe. Not easy these days, but good luck anyway!
Hugs ‘n’ stuff
xx
Comment by Lindsay — January 6, 2009 #
If you can’t find a dentist taking patients you can always go to the nearest dental hospital if it gets painful. They are likely to have someone that will be open minded and supportive as there will be more dentists available. Worth ringing them perhaps.
Comment by intothesystem — January 6, 2009 #
Teeth do gradually recover by themselves from minor damage, and there are products that claim to help with sensitivity and the effects of acid. You might be able to get by, at least for a while, allowing you to choose when to address the problem properly. (Vomitorium, however, does not really mean what you think it does.)
Comment by cbtish — January 6, 2009 #
My doctors surgery has a post up in the waiting room about NHS dentists with a phone number on it to help you locate your local NHS dentist who is accepting new patients. Maybe your doctors might have the number somewhere too. It was a standard poster done by the NHS, so would probably have been sent out to lots of GPs.
Comment by Seeking Sanity — January 6, 2009 #
Ouch lola – I really feel for you. I spent a good (bad, I should say) year strapped to the Nazi-torture-chair myself in order to get my mankey pegs fixed. Was worth it in the end tho – luckily the smoking habit keeps me a few tones down from the perfect Hollywood smile. As regards NHS dentist – ‘NHS direct’ is first port of call (think that’s been mentioned) but it’s not fool proof since the first few I phoned nearly spat their crowns at me when I mentioned the NHS word.
Sorry to add to the pedantry but a ‘vomitorium’ is some sort of corridor connecting to a seating area in Roman architecture. However, you’d think there’s be an etymological link there wouldn’t you? (and since the Romans were reputedly such bingers and most of them look far to svelt in the statues, I imagine they were fetching up all over the place – most likely in corridors) Good word though.
Btw – thanks for your nice comment on my post.
K.x
Comment by loopykate — January 6, 2009 #
“I imagine they were fetching up all over the place – most likely in corridors)” Oh Kate you crack me up!
Thanks for the advice everyone. Looks like the next few days will have my head glued to the phone, my fingers to the keyboard, and my eyes on my bank balance
Oh well, maybe once this is out of the way I can get things really moving!
Lola x
Comment by Lola Snow — January 6, 2009 #
I was terrified of going to the dentist and hadn’t been in years but my molars were almost down to the nerve in the summer so I had to find one quick. NHS direct was worse than useless (suggested a dentist in Kilbarchan, a small village in Ayrshire. I live in Glasgow.) but found there was a dentist in the same block as my GP who took NHS patients. There was no waiting lists and no hassle. They were very nice and even took out a bothersome wisdom tooth! I had three appointments, problem sorted in six weeks.
It was astoundingly easy and nowhere near as traumatic as I had anticipated.
I hope your experience is similarly trouble-free. Good luck!
Comment by la — January 6, 2009 #
i’m so scared of going to the dentist i have literally lain in bed at night hoping that i somehow die before ever having to face that particular obstacle. and i don’t want to die, at all, btw. i’m just not certain whether i prefer death to a visit to the dentist, is all.
Comment by vive42 — January 6, 2009 #
Oh, ouch. I’m sorry your teeth hurt, and I’m sorry you’re going to the dentist! I hope you find a good one; I’ve been mostly lucky with mine; only had one or two that I didn’t like.
Comment by Marste — January 6, 2009 #
Ah yes. I recently found myself in a similar situation. I am halfway through root canal, and I say this tentatively, but it’s been ok. I found a dentist by calling NHS direct, but then had to go on a waiting list for a few months. If you’re in dire pain, get an emergency appointment; tooth ache is horrible and soul destroying.
I like my new dentist so far because he doesn’t play radio 2 (I though this was a prerequisite for dentists. And radio 2 always seems to be playing ronan keating. Ronan keating + a strange man’s fingers in my mouth + pain = not a good combination).
Not sure about dentists an EDs but I think that many are more open about anxiety and dentists, and some offer specialist treatments (sedations mostly) to help.
take care. xx
Comment by Ruby Tuesday — January 6, 2009 #
Argrgrghhh. I was very brave about this earlier, but it’s waning about in the cold night air
No, I think I’ll be taking my time – not procrastinating, but I need someone who listens. Someone who is not going to make me feel like a twat for not having gone sooner, which I already do a bit, but am attempting to remind myself I was pretty ill so it is excusable. I just need someone who is not going to jepodise all this hard work i’ve been doing, by scarring my already weird mouth issue!
Lola x
Comment by Lola Snow — January 6, 2009 #
Just want to say, i totally feel your teeth troubles. Even when I was doing much better with ED, I tooth issues still came into play. It feels like it just hammers back at you even when you are trying to get well.
I hope you’re able to find an understanding dentist. But you really do need to go. Root canals and tooth extractions are not fun at all.
Comment by Tiptoe — January 6, 2009 #
I grind my teeth something horrid at night. They hurt something fierce when I awake.
Comment by eshoe — January 6, 2009 #
***hides under the bed and prays for miracle****
Comment by Lola Snow — January 6, 2009 #
I hope you find a dentist soon, Lola. I wouldn’t want to see anything throwing a monkey wrench into your excellent days of recovery.
Comment by Laura — January 7, 2009 #
Good luck with the dentist! I really sympathise, hate that place! x
Comment by Hannah — January 7, 2009 #
good luck with the teeth. if it makes you feel any better – I’ve had a root canal and 3 fillings. The root canal was the least uncomfortable – probably because of all the horror stories they really numb the f*&^ out of you (or thankfully did in my case anyway). Here in the states some dentists also specialize in treating “cowards” and will give you some extra “feel good” juice for any procedures. as soon as finances have settled I’ll be following in your footsteps to the dentist’s chair.
be well. glad to hear that you’re on the road of recovery.
cheers to that!
-nb
Comment by novemberblue — January 7, 2009 #
I hear you on this. Even though I have never purged, my teeth have still suffered a lot of decalcification from anorexia. And I grind my teeth at night, apparently. Last spring I got incredibly frustrated, because I had just started to make progress with my eating when some terrible tooth pain started and it was really painful to consume anything. A good dentist can do wonders, though, don’t be too intimidated to get procedures done! I’m sorry you’re hurting, hang in there and take care.
Comment by Cammy — January 7, 2009 #
Thanks for the sympathy guys, no one likes dentists, but it helps to hear from people who have been there. I am going to look on this as a good thing I think. I’ve needed to face up to this for a bloody long time, and this way I am making a very large positive step towards recovery.
Lola x
Comment by Lola Snow — January 7, 2009 #
absolutely. I felt much better once I went, even though it was scary. It shows that you’re taking care of yourself and that shows that you value yourself.
Comment by Ruby Tuesday — January 7, 2009 #
Cheers Ruby. It’s a long road, there is a lot of damage, so I guess the sooner I start the sooner I can start smiling again.
Comment by Lola Snow — January 7, 2009 #
I too have an extreame and irrational fear of dentists, hence my mouth is a mess, becuase I never go. I don’t have a dentist. I never smile for photos with my mouth open.
About a year and a half ago I needed emergency dental treatment I had tooth ache that got worse over about 3 days until not even tramadol was doing anything; then I woke up with a hamster cheek on one side of my face. It transpired that I had a dead tooth. I had to take antibiotics for 5 days and then go back and have it pulled out. The dentist was stunned that I was capable of eating normally, and identified 5 others that need removing; but suffice to say I did not go back for further treatment.
Just bear in mind that you still have to pay, albeit a lot less than private practices, for NHS dental treatment. From what I remember there were 3 tiers. I think I paid about £35 for each visit.
Am I the only one who ever wishes I could just have them all removed and replaced with a nice set of pearly white dentures? I know they’re associated with older people, but I for one would love a nice smile, and the prospect of one operation under GA is more tolerable than the considerable work involved in fixing the teeth I have
xXx
Comment by Crazy Nurse — January 12, 2009 #
I’m still leaning towards fangs myself….and yes I have a couple which need removing. Do they sedate you for that I wonder? I’m already blacklisted as a biter…
Comment by Lola Snow — January 12, 2009 #