108 My Sunday Photo D is for Dentist.

I suffered with chronic toothache over the weekend and after years of neglect I finally plucked up the courage to visit the dentist and finally get them sorted, unfortunately there's not much that can be done and over the next few weeks I need a 2nd root canal filling, an extraction, new crown and several fillings.

I've neglected the dentists due to a couple of bad experiences in South Africa and bone disease, which means implants without a bone graft aren't possible.

Back in October I suffered with chronic tooth pain on a flight, where the cabin pressure causes trapped air in fillings and decay to release and the pain is excruciating. I fly to Luxor on Thursday for a long weekend with Peter and I know the issue has to be addressed or it would spoil the weekend. I also purchased an emergency filling repair kit from the supermarket and I'm ashamed to say it was still in my tooth until today.

Due to the bone disease and receding gums, probably caused by smoking, my teeth are so sensitive, so depute my mouth being completely numb, the water and air used whilst doing the root canal caused me so much pain in my other teeth, that the dentist stopped work and applied temporary filings to several other teeth and applied a seal around the tooth that needs a new crown.

The dentist was exceptionally kind, especially when she had to inject directly into the root canal as the first lot of injections weren't effective, she appreciated my need to stop treatment and allow me to re position myself, due to my bad neck and had full understanding of why I hadn't been to see a dentist or hygienist for 2 years.

I've been told that due to the work she has done on my teeth, that I'm only to eat soft foods until my next appointment in just over a week and avoid hot and cold drinks.

probably not the best choice of food to be eating with all that sugar, but I did have chicken soup and bread for my lunch and a yogurt.

Oh I wish I'd looked after me teeth - Pam Ayres

I'm reminded of Pam Ayres at the moment and her classic poem 'I wish I'd looked after me teeth' which can listen to here. Particularly poignant to me is the last verse.

'How I laughed at my mother’s false teeth,

As they foamed in the waters beneath.

But now comes the reckonin’

It’s methey are beckonin’

Oh, I wish I’d looked after me teeth.'

I'm losing my teeth at a rapid rate, OK I haven't had dental work for over 4 years, just check ups and every time they tell me they need to remove 3 teeth, but they don't say why, other than, it can't be repaired or it is loose. These are 3 of my top teeth, that form part of my broad smile and while they don't cause me any pain I'm confused as to why I should have them removed. So here they stay.

I hate visiting the dentist, I'm not frightened of the work, I have an old neck injury and I find it difficult to sit/lie in that position for more than a few minutes without severe pain, I've yet to meet a dentist who understands what I mean as they always interpret it with 'just lie back and relax you'll be fine' the only part of me not being relaxed is the lying back because and I'll say it one last time 'I HAVE AN OLD INJURY TO MY NECK, I CAN'T LIE IN THAT POSITION'

Also with moving around a lot it's difficult to find a dentist I can trust with my teeth, I've been told so many different things over the years, such as I can have a bridge for the top right of my mouth, to discover I'd have to have the rest of my trop teeth on that side removed first, when I ask why I was told because this what they have to do. I've also been told many times that ALL my old dental work needs replacing as it has been done badly, how can this be?

A few years ago I chipped a front tooth, I went to a new dentist to have it fixed, next thing I knew they had filed down my front tooth completely and put a badly fitting veneer on it, it's not straight and 5 years on it still irritates my tongue. I've chipped the other front tooth now and I'm on a liquid diet until I've done my research on finding yet another new dentist I feel I can trust who doesn't just carry work out without a full explanation and offer alternatives.

I also have bone disease in my mouth and I was told by various dentists that I would need implants sooner rather than later, it's an expensive option but a route I was willing to take some day sooner rather than later, that was until I went to discuss it properly and was told for the first time last year, I don't actually have enough bone in my mouth for implants and will need bone graphs. Now that will mean several weeks, months with no teeth in my mouth while the implants take before I can have the posts and new teeth fitted and at 44 I really don't want that, especially with front teeth missing, would you?

I've found a clinic in Harley Street, that can fix your smile in one day, but it comes in at a cost of £15,000, plus all the extras like CT scans to check on the depth of my bone in my mouth and is a 5 hour procedure under a local sedation, which with my neck I'd never be able to manage. I'm at a loss at what to do. I could finance the work, it would be a push. But I fear that I'd have to pay a lot of money up front, air fares, hotels (I live in Dubai) CT scans to discover there's not enough bone for the implants.

So I'm checking out what Dubai has to offer, what would be covered on my medical aid, front teeth aren't cosmetic as far as I can work out they should be covered, but with the damage to my teeth already I doubt anyone would be willing to fix the top 8 without fixing the rest of my mouth.

If anyone has had similar issues and found a way forward without breaking the bank or going without teeth, please do get in touch. Also if you've ended up with false teeth due to implants costing too much or having bone disease, let me know how you're getting on. I really don't want false teeth at 44, but I suppose that has to be better than no teeth, doesn't it?