New Smile #3

Well, yesterday was the next step in this adventure to a new smile. It got exciting and scary at the same time.
I went in to the dentist, sat in the dread chair, and they then came in with the wax version of my new teeth. This time they were put in my mouth without all the goop. They popped the bottom in. Ok-that was cool. I was scared it would hurt, but it didn't once it got past one point in the back on both sides. Oh wow!! Teeth!! Perfect teeth! Then in went the top. Snug fit and perfect teeth. Ok! All of a sudden as my friend Don put it I had a 2 X 4 in my mouth and was asked to speak! What do I do with all this?? How do I close my mouth, how do I swallow, how do I chew, how do I talk? That is when it got scary. But then they held a mirror up and I saw teeth!! Not my own teeth, but perfect shaped pretty teeth all the same. That got cool. That got exciting. But I still couldn't close my mouth and my lips still didn't come back! It was explained to me that the actual dentures will be a little bit smaller and easier and that it would take about two weeks to get the hang of them. I go back on Tuesday at 4:00 to get the dentures put in. She said they are going to glue them in. I go back in January to see if I need an alignment.
Now I am committed to this and now I am really scared. It is amazing how quickly my body adjusted to having no teeth. How my jaw is starting to act like it is normal to have no teeth. Now I will have to tell my jaw to rethink itself once again and get used to something in there. I am thinking the idea of pulling the teeth and inserting the new dentures all on the same day is probably a good way to go. The jaw doesn't have the relearning to do. A friend said last night that a co-worker of his had it done that way about a month ago and he is struggling with the pain. So, maybe it isn't such a good idea. I guess it is different for everyone. Of course it is.
I was told they will give me some instructions while there on Tuesday on how to handle all this. I will also be continuing to eat soft foods for a couple weeks. (Still only have lost four pounds. Was hoping for more.)Chewing doesn't feel the same with false teeth. There isn't the give like you have with your own teeth. It is going to take time to get used to that different feeling when you eat. Anyway, they said lots of talking, singing, reading etc and it will help. Uhhuh. And how about swallowing and what about sleeping?? I will have until Tuesday to get refocused on the positive and get excited more than scared again. Then will come the 2 X 4!!!
Wish me luck and as I said in my first post...take care of your teeth. Do what the dentist says. Go to the dentist no matter how scared you are. The Gentle Dentistry is a good thing. No longer is there the scary sounds. No longer is there the awful smells. The dentists out there today are so much better. False teeth are never as good as the originals.
More on or shortly after Tuesday on how the 2 X 4s feel and react.