Ally's story about getting good dental care

I started going to the dentist when I was very little and I was very lucky to have such a good dentist who made going to see him fun. He used to blow up his gloves and let the glove go so it would make a funny noise. Going to the dentist was something I always looked forward to.

My dentist was warm, kind and friendly. He treated me with respect and took his time to do my teeth. He would sit down with my mum and me and go through what he was going to do with my teeth. He took his time to explain what he was going to do and spoke slowly.

With Ehlers Danlos Syndrome I had a crowded mouth and I needed to get 8 teeth taken out in Hospital, as my dentist explained to me. My dentist sent me to an Oral surgeon who knew about Ehlers Danlos Syndrome so I got really good care. When I got to the hospital I sat in the waiting room which was clean and tidy. The nurse came and got me. They explained the procedure to me while taking me to the hospital bed.

Before they put me to sleep, the Oral Surgeon explained to me what would happen. He  explained that I would wake up after the surgery and I would receive pain relief as needed and would need to use Ice packs to help reduce the pain and swelling. I  was nervous at first but then I was fine after being put to sleep.  Mum was right next to me when I woke up to support me. They gave me aftercare instructions  and an icepack to wear home. They told me how many days to wear the icepack for and to call them if I had any problems

After the surgery and recovery I needed to see an Orthodontist who said I needed braces and a plate made which my parents had to turn to stretch the top of my mouth because of my EDS.

My orthodontist was my Dentist son and he was really nice and he knew all about EDS. I did have one problem when the orthodontist put the elastics on to help fix my overbite my jaw dislocated because of my condition (EDS). My Orthodontist immediately removed the elastics and gave pain relief.

When I finally had my braces off I was thrilled to have a million dollar smile. I still can go and see my Orthodontist if I need to. I still go to my dentist every 6months. I have very good teeth for someone with EDS because lots of people with EDS have bad teeth, overcrowding and overbites.

I have been very lucky and blessed that we have private health insurance which has helped pay for lots of these treatments and I didn’t have along wait to have my teeth taken out.