Is the story about teeth removal true?

[Rena]

My grandmother lived in the east of the town of Hull and her tap water tasted very different to the tap water that we had in the west of the town.

My late OH was posted to NATO in France in 1966.  NATO moved to the Netherlands in 1967 and after one year all the NATO dentists advised every parent to organise supplies of "disclosure tablets" because even infants were losing their teeth to cavities/caries.   It's surprising to see, when using the disclosure tablets, how much food is left on teeth even when they feel "squeaky clean".

[IgorStrav]

My Dad (the handsome fellow in my avatar) had all his teeth out at the age of 26 in 1941, presumably because they'd been troublesome previously.  He had to do quite a bit of 'practising' with his new set of choppers.

On the other hand my Mum never had hers out, and was very very proud in her 80's that she was possessed of a full set.

My brother and myself - though both still with a full set of gnashers - were affected by the poor nutrition of my mother during pregnancy and her earlier life (or so I was told by a dentist once) and both of us have quite twisted teeth, especially at the bottom.

Brother had considerable difficulty with his embouchure as a professional clarinettist.

With the lack of NHS dentists/treatments presumably teeth will continue to be problematic for many people.

[Stanwix England]

Thank you for all the continued replies.

This thread has come back to haunt me. I had to have a wisdom tooth taken out on Saturday. I'm still in a lot of pain as a result. I'm hoping for an improvement soon.

I am very grateful to have the benefit of painkillers and other medical assistance, unlike our poor forebears.

[Ruskie]

Igor, your mother’s diet must have been sufficient if she lived into her 80s and still had her own teeth. Your brother and yourself probably just have overcrowded mouths and may have benefitted from a removal or two (or four if you have wisdoms) and a nice set of braces. 

Ice packs might give you some relief Stanwix. Avoid hot liquids. Don’t put up with pain for too long. Get it seen to - infections are common and you would need to nip that in the bud before it got out of hand. Sometimes antibiotics are routinely given after wisdom teeth removal.

[nofiogal]

Yes, it is true.  My Aunt Hilda had it done as a 21st. birthday present from Gran and Granddad.  She told me this herself.  I suppose their thinking was that if she married a man that could not afford dental work then she would suffer - it was their way of saying they cared how she would fare later on in her life. 

[Stanwix England]

Ice packs might give you some relief Stanwix. Avoid hot liquids. Don’t put up with pain for too long. Get it seen to - infections are common and you would need to nip that in the bud before it got out of hand. Sometimes antibiotics are routinely given after wisdom teeth removal.

I ended up making an emergency appointment, and I'm so glad I did. Turns out I have dry socket. Glad I'm getting treatment now.

Thanks for sharing your story nofiogal .

[dowdstree]

A bit late but I will share my story with you.

My mum had all her teeth removed in 1934 aged 16 due to gum disease or so she was told at the time. In 1945 she met and married my dad who was a dental mechanic to trade. He made her a beautiful new set of teeth around the late 1940's. By the 1990's they were a bit the worse for wear  and as dad was retired by then her dentist made her a new set. They never fitted properly according to mum. Dad even used his old dental tools to alter them but to no avail. She reverted back to her old ones for everyday use and the new ones for high days and holidays

When dad passed away in 2005 amongst his treasures I found a plaster mould of someone's lower mouth complete with missing teeth.  No idea who it belonged to but it has become a family heirloom and I will pass it on to his great grandsons. 

Dorrie

p.s. Stanwix I hope your mouth feels better soon.