Tooth problems and AN

[Pembo]

My surgery was 6 years ago. I still have some facial paralysis and numbness and do almost all of my chewing on the opposite side. Today I found out I cracked a tooth on the "good" side and will need to have it pulled. How am I going to eat??? Chewing on the AN side is like putting food into a vacuum...it goes in and I can't feel it.

This is one side effect of surgery I never expected...the "good" teeth wearing out.

[lori67]

I have the same problem! 

I had to have a tooth pulled after my AN surgery because it cracked.  I guess there's a lot of extra wear and tear when you can only chew on one side.  After it was all healed, I'm still able to eat (where there's a will, there's a way!), but I will say some things are a lot of work.  I'm in the process of deciding if I want to do an implant to replace the tooth or a bridge, but I'm certainly not starving to death in the meantime!

I have had tons of dental problems I didn't have before the facial paralysis.  My dentist doesn't want to be too aggressive in fixing them now because we don't know how much movement I will ultimately wind up with after my nerve graft, but I think the time is coming when things will need to be addressed.

You just don't realize that having one thing "fixed" can lead to so many other things breaking!

Good luck - and go get yourself some ice cream!   
Lori

[Funnydream]

Tooth implants arn't covered by most insurance.

Cost me $3k.

But you can get a screw put in with a fake tooth on top of it. And you won't be able to tell the difference. Also it will be there long after your body decays. lol.

[lori67]

Also it will be there long after your body decays. lol.

Good to know - I want to be able to eat in the afterlife too!   

Lori

[Mei Mei]

This is very interesting!   The molar on my non AN side cracked too and I had to have it pulled too!   It was in June just 6 months after my surgery.   My dentist quoted a higher price than yours at $4,000.    Wait till you go to a foreign country to do it.   My carpenter who did my addition was quoted 25,000 here and went home to Slovakia and did it for $5000.   I was going to do it in China this month but was on there for four days and there wasn't enough time.   The waiter in the restaurant down the street does his in Bangkok.   His teeth look great.   
Mei Mei

[Kathleen_Mc]

the teeth themselves are OK on the affected side for me but have gum disease, hard to brush in there and all that.
Like yourselves I cannot chew on the affected side, on the unaffected side I have cracked two teeth on the separate incidents and they have been capped, they are showing wear and tear too!
Man ain't this all fun.
I hate going to the dentist so I keep thinking "why not get em all out and get full dentures.....I can just leave them in the night drop box and they can call me when they're ready!" 

[pjb]

the teeth themselves are OK on the affected side for me but have gum disease, hard to brush in there and all that.
Like yourselves I cannot chew on the affected side, on the unaffected side I have cracked two teeth on the separate incidents and they have been capped, they are showing wear and tear too!
Man ain't this all fun.
I hate going to the dentist so I keep thinking "why not get em all out and get full dentures.....I can just leave them in the night drop box and they can call me when they're ready!" 

Kathleen loved your comment about dentures I for one try to see humor in everything even dentures but after seeing my sister having to have half her mouth done she is so devastated doesn't want anyone to know, she even went as far as saying she does not ever want surgery because then she would have to take them out ? She always leaves them in and what I see her going through mentally I am very thankful I have my bad teeth still , so in that comment I better make an appointment soon ...Hate the dentist too !!