Guest guest Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 A few days ago, I had the last of my sadly neglected teeth removed and my upper dentures put in. I now have a great smile, less self-consciousness, and a lot to get used to. ACT, plus a lot of research into how to adjust to living with a mouth full of plastic is helping me big time. I now have a whole bunch of new things to learn and cope with, such as: new ways of chewing food; speaking as my tongue adapts to its new environment (saying the tongue-twister 'The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick' for example, is a challenge); discomfort and some pain while my gums heal and change shape after the extractions; and an almost constant awareness of them being in my mouth. The mindfulness part of ACT was a huge help when my upper teeth were taken out a few days ago. Like a lot people, I have a huge fear of needles being stuck into my gums and the roof of my mouth, and my mind keeps telling me I'll experience more pain than I can cope with. Mindfulness to the rescue! As I lay back in the dentist's chair waiting for the first needle prick, I closed my eyes and put my awareness into my body and took a few deep and relaxing breaths. Then, each time I felt the needle go in, I focussed on what I was actually experiencing moment by moment instead of trying to fight and reject it. The result? A couple of mild stabbing pains that disappeared almost as soon as they were felt, and nothing I couldn't cope with. Thanks to a lot of research and watching YouTube videos of fellow denture wearers, I have a good idea of what to expect over the next few months. Learning to eat in a new way, for example; learning to adjust my speech as my tongue adapts to its new plastic filled environment; and some discomfort and pain as my gums heal and change. ACT will play a big part in this process. Using defusion to handle the inevitable discomfort and frustrations and negative thoughts are already helping me through this long transition. What also helps is that I have taken a huge step towards realising my social values. I no longer feel self-conscious when I talk to people, and I smile a lot more. If you're reading this and thinking of getting dentures, Google and ACT are your friends. Google because of the wealth of information it provides about your journey, and ACT because it helps you along your way. Oh, and this forum as well, of course! Cheers, Stan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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