To those who know me personally, I am known for being such a smiling person. When there's camera, I usually smile, showcasing my full set of teeth, regardless of how it looks. It has been my way of conquering these insecurities ever since then. My secret is that behind those smiles and the sight of a full set of teeth is the fact I am wearing dentures. In my case, good thing I only have one. I started wearing it at an early age of 14 (if I am not mistaken).
WHAT HAPPENED?
Ever since I was a child, I have had a crooked teeth. As you can see, my upper and lower teeth are not aligned with each other. Also, in size, they are so different. I think it is really in our genes, even my siblings do not have a perfect set of teeth. No wonder also, during our childhood days, we really loved candies and chocolates? Who doesn't want candies and chocolates as a child, right? Just that it really affects my teeth, causing decay in my front teeth.
At first, I don't really care much about my teeth. For me, brushing is enough. But, when I moved to the city, my Tito (who supported me in my studies) back then, was really health conscious. One day, he let me attend his appointment with his dentist and had my teeth checked as well. The dentist examined my teeth and performed a tooth cleaning procedure.
Upon checking, the dentist told me that I needed to undergo dental fillings as well, to restore those decayed teeth. That is the first time I have tried all those procedures, and it is all paid for by my Tito.
Months later, I had my appointment again because my canine tooth kept on moving, and it was giving me pain, so the dentist decided to extract the tooth. Due to the extraction, my teeth kept on moving trying to fill out the gap. It slowly forms diastema in my front teeth, as you can see, so the dentist suggested having me dentures to fill in the canine gap so that the gap that forms in the front will not grow bigger.
That was the start of my journey, wearing a denture. Wearing dentures at first was uncomfortable until I got used to it. Here, although I have diastema or gaps in my front teeth, I can really tell that my teeth look better than before. It is still my Tito who sponsored every appointment I had with the dentist.
That sponsorship stopped when my Tito died. But before he died, his words have always been in my mind. He told me to take good care of my teeth and have them checked every 6 months and saved up for it, since if he dies he can no longer pay for my dentist.
I told myself that if he is very motivated to fixed my teeth so there's no excuses for me not doing it for myself. Those words I carry every day and will always serve as a reminder to me to take care of my teeth and the need to visit the dentist once in a while. Now that I am the one to pay for it, I really saved up just to have it checked and monitored.
With God's grace and with my effort to save up, I often visited my dentist when it's time to have my teeth checked. Last year, I just had my teeth cleaned, and I also inquire what to do with my diastema or gap in my front teeth if I needed to wear braces. According to him, since I had dentures for a long time, he has not recommended braces since it will only take them a lot of time and expects they will be costly. However, he recommended me to undergo diastema closure. It is a procedure done to close the gap between my two teeth. When he told me that, I was full of hope that my teeth would still have a chance to be better. I was not able to undergo the procedure directly since I had to save up first for the cost, which would be PHP 3,500. I set that as a goal, and I am very motivated to really saved up. Thankfully, I was able to accumulate the cost.
On September 9 last year, I underwent a diastema closure procedure and it was a success. I never expected the result. I am so happy that I see my teeth look better and better.
Looking forward, I became complacent about my teeth until... Early in the morning of January 26,2024 while having breakfast, I accidently bite my denture as it unexpectedly fell into my mouth. What's worse is that it really got broken huhuhu😭😭
First thing I did was I messaged my dentist about my dentures and I also asked the cost if I were to get a new one. He told me the cost, which is PHP 4,500. It made me more sad thinking about where I can get that money. I negotiated with my dentist about the price because I really want to have it replaced as soon as possible. Thankfully, my dentist agreed and he gave me a discount. Instead of PHP 4,500, I only have to pay PHP 4,000 budget (I borrowed from my younger brother) . I am so happy about his kindness and generosity. I also promised to make it up in my future visits.
My appointment happened last February 3rd. By the way, my dentist is Dr.Tugahan. His clinic is located at Room 302 GK Chua Bldg. Sanciangko St., Cebu City. I was the first patient in the afternoon that time, he started checking up on my teeth. Then, he began mixing some kind of paste and put it into a molder. After that, it is being out of my mouth waiting for it to solidify. (I was not able to take pictures with the procedures that time since I went there alone).
When the procedure is done, he told me I cannot get it immediately since it would take days to finish. He told me to come back the week after which is on February 7,2024 (Wednesday).
Afternoon of February 7,2024, I went back to his clinic to get my dentures and to have it fitted on me. I really loved the result. It fits me well, I just hope it will lasts long like before. I know it is not perfect, since it is still overbite. But seeing progress has given me a sense of comfort and confidence as well. I hope my Tito is happy seeing me keeping my promise to care about my dental health.
For everyone who is reading this, please always take good care of your teeth, your overall health. Do not take it for granted, especially, your dental needs. Investing in it, for sure, you will love the result. Do not wait for your dental issues to get worse before you take actions.
That's it for now, divers, I appreciate your time reaching this part of the blog. I hope you learn something from it, most especially about the importance of oral hygiene. Please take good care and always stay safe. Adios😘✌