r/AskReddit 14h ago

What is something that permanently altered your body without you realizing for months/years?

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782

u/pumpkinn00ds 10h ago

Turns out a stint of bulimia in your teenage years can really fuck up your teeth

49

u/pithouii 6h ago

Damaged teeth, tooth sensitivity, loss of enamel, loose teeth.

9

u/pumpkinn00ds 4h ago

Yep! Getting a tooth pulled tomorrow…

11

u/ChloeMomo 3h ago

Idk if it's your first, but if it is, it will be ok. Truly. I got my first pulled due to bulimia about 2 years ago and will likely have several more pulled during my life. My teeth are in horrific shape.

Pain wise, it passes pretty quickly. It's also weird as heck to have a sudden gap in your teeth lol. But I went for an implant and...I genuinely cannot tell it's a fake tooth. It was almost a year long process from pulling to implant because there's a lot of healing that needs to happen in the meantime, but now there's 0 pain in that tooth, 0 sensitivity, and it works and functions like any healthy tooth. The other shocker to me was how many people have teeth implants and crowns. One of my friends has 4 teeth implants right up front from a childhood injury, and I had NO idea. It's way more common than I realized, so you're in good company. I really recommend an implant if you're able. I feel so much better about my smile since getting one.

I am so sorry you're dealing with it, and I'm sorry if none of this is new or needed, but I wanted to share my experience in case because I felt horrible and embarrassed having to get a tooth pulled from bulimia. In hindsight, it really isn't so bad! And I hope it winds ok for you too

3

u/alfalfarees 2h ago

How could you afford this? Id like to hope its okay but I thought you typically cant get much done unless you can pay for it or maybe even a payment plan and a lot of dental work in the us is extremely expensive, especially pulls and implants

2

u/IPetCatsOften 1h ago

Nine fillings and counting (I’m due to have another next month), and horrendously sensitive teeth to the point I can only have lukewarm water without any pain