Just to top it off................

[marcia]

I never had any major problems until just before we were due to leave the Uk, and most of you know about that and have seen the photo of my beautiful yellow jaw after my operation thanks to Stevie D! I wondered if it was just the fact that I'd got to 40 and everything was downhill from there on?!

When my remaining teeth (and gaps ) are giving me grief, I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be easier to have them all pulled and invest in a liquidizer instead , it would probably be cheaper in the long run!

[KerryS]

Gosh - I really feel for you all suffering with your teeth.
I had never had any problems with mine when in the UK, never even had a filling! When I moved to NZ I had three fillings on my very first visit to the dentist, and he wanted to remove all my wisdom teeth, and suggested major surgery to realign my jaw, as I have a pronounced overbite.
I had the fillings done, but refused the other treatment, and am lucky that I don't really suffer from any problems.
I saw my UK dentist when I was back there recently (he's a family friend) and he was very impressed with the work on my fillings, and the fact that they suggested realignment surgery. Apparantly he'd never suggested it to me, as it wouldn't have been funded by the NHS as I'm not a serious enough case, and it would have cost several thousand pounds. I'm actually reconsidering it now, as it would make a huge change to the shape of my face and how my jaw sits, which may help to eradicate the horrific headaches I suffer from. I think UK dentists often refrain from informing patients of work that may need doing in the future, on the chance that they can actually get away without doing it due to the fact they are so over stretched and under funded.

[kanatakiwi]

ok...this is getting ridiculous!!!

Eating dinner last night......CHOMP.....approx a quarter of one of my teeth fell out....the one that has been filled since being in NZ!

I am hack, hack, hacked off....and paranoid I am going to have false teeth before I am 30!

you should go back to the NZ dentist who did the original filling and demand to get it done for free!!

[dusk]

poor all. hope your recoveries are quick, painless and don't cost the earth!

this thread is making me consider getting dentures before I leave. my teeth are fine right now, but who wants to take the risk