the dental update

[Zoe Girl]

I am so very ahppy for insurance and so sad that all of us have teeth issues. It sounds like a bad mommy but I am really ready to just take care of my son and I, sigh. The girls are doing great getting on their feet in a bad economy, so it is what it is.

Today i got the root canal. He built it up in a way that I can not rush for the crown because there are 2 other teeth if we deal with soon won't get to the root canal point and just need a crown. I have had these fillings for 20 years so they are just wearing out and large after all. I did get a compliment on my good brushing however. I got out the electric toothbrush and am using it consistently. But that puts my work at almost $1,000. My oldest has $300+ but she should be able to pay that herself. Tomorrow is the scary one. Middle daughter goes in and she has the worst teeth, one has a visible hole. She has worked so hard brushing and rinsing. Yesterday she got a car (yeah dad took care of it all but she will make payments) so now she can actually get to the dentist without me taking a half day off work.

So how about no 'so sorry' since I accept it and it has taken years for us to get to all this dental work. How about a 'way to go' that I am actually taking care of it and the kids are doing as much as they can as well. Those people with good teeth, don't take it for granted!

[awakenedsoul]

Once you get your work finished, I highly recommend trying Dr. Ellie's system for preventing tooth decay. It has saved me so much money and pain! I used to have terrible teeth. Her website is www.zellies.com (http://www.zellies.com). She has a great website. She developed this system for people who couldn't afford insurance and had bad teeth. Her book, Kiss Your Dentist Good-bye is excellent.

[rosarugosa]

Good for you, Zoe Girl. Dental work isn't a fun way to spend money, but it's important and you have my respect for having your priorities in the right place.

[pony mom]

One day I'll regret not having regular dental checkups. Good for you to be catching up at last.

[Selah]

Way to go! :)

[mtnlaurel]

Good for you, Zoe Girl. Dental work isn't a fun way to spend money, but it's important and you have my respect for having your priorities in the right place.

+1

[rodeosweetheart]

+2

[Gardenarian]

Well done, Zoe Girl. I also recommend zellies.com (or at least chewing Xylitol gum - it is apparently as effective as brushing.

[Florence]

+3!

[Zoe Girl]

Okayt last kid had checkup and her teeth have already been worked on a lot. So the small fillings are not bad, total about $350 and 3 appointments. She has a car now so she can do most of this on her own.

Grand total, $1,600 and I am giving us abotu 6 months to get the work done. I have a zero percent payment plan for work paid in 12 months and hope to get it paid, if I pay some interest that is okay too. I am totally into the Zellies thing next, the dentist keeps commenting on our good brushing within the last year so kids can learn. I got out my electric toothbrush, so after this it should put us in good shape until at least 2 kids are paying their own.

[awakenedsoul]

That's great! The Zellies system does cost money, with all the rinses, Crest regular toothpaste, and zylotol gum. To me, it's totally worth it. You can use a regular toothbrush, too. (Which I like.) It's made my teeth feel like porcelain. Plus, it's such a relief not having the stress and fear of dental work.

[pony mom]

I've been saving a bit of money with the xylitol candy/gum by just eating straight xylitol. My one pound bag cost about $10 (US birch trees). I'm surprised at how much of the candy and gum I still have left.

[peggy]

I've been saving a bit of money with the xylitol candy/gum by just eating straight xylitol. My one pound bag cost about $10 (US birch trees). I'm surprised at how much of the candy and gum I still have left.

How do you eat it? Just by the spoon? In something?

[pony mom]

A 1/4 tsp. = 1 gram, so I'll just dump it in my mouth, let it dissolve, and swish it around a bit and swallow. No aftertaste. A 1/2 tsp. = 2 grams, so I'll put that into a small amount of water (like less than 8 oz.) and sip and swish that now and then. I'm storing it in a glass jam jar with the spoon kept inside it.

I'm trying to get the recommended 6.5-7grams/day and so far this is working for me. I even have 1 gram of the sugar in a pill container next to my bed, so if I wake up during the night, I'll eat that and go back to sleep. Even just doing that makes your mouth feel clean.

[peggy]

Cool. Is that US birch trees a store?

[pony mom]

No, the xylitol is made from US birch trees. Some US companies import it from China. The brand I found was Emerald Forest.

Here are a few xylitol benefits from the pkg:

Metabolized independently of insulin and is safe for diabetics or anyone seeking a healthier lifestyle.

Does not promote cavities

Looks and tastes like sugar (very true--and no aftertaste)

Dissolves quickly.

40% fewer calories than processed sugar

75% less carb intake

If I drank coffee or tea and added sugar, this is what I would use. You could bake with it too but unless you need it for health reasons, it would be a bit expensive to use that way all the time.

[alexbush]

The best way is to take care of our teeth more. The xylitol and electric toothbrush are two things that I can do in daily life. For the brush you can get more information here http://www.thegoodgears.com/Electric-Toothbrush/