In which Rolanni goes to the dentist

[rolanni]

I went to the dentist this morning.  This is monumental, because as a rule, I Don't Do Dentists.  However, I promised Steve that I would go for a checkup and a cleaning, and I made the appointment, for March 17, and told the office that the only way this would work was if there was valium, which the dentist prescribed, so I had it on hand when the call came in yesterday, saying that they had a cancellation and could I come in this morning at 7:30.  Steve being willing to act as driver, I agreed.

Mostly it went OK, though I made a tactical error in not fetching along a teddy bear or other stuffie, and so had to borrow the House Wolf.  You've gotta give points to a dentist's office that has a stuffed wolf on-call.

The good news is, no cavities.  The bad news is a low-grade infection, which I sorta knew, but was ignoring, also, there are a couple teeth that need to be capped, because I've dern near ground them down to nothing.  So -- another appointment in four months to take care of business and I will be taking a bear along.

This is the point where you wonder why the heck I'm telling you this stuff, and this is why. . .

Over the course of my life I've lost at least six friends and colleagues to complications of dental issues; cases of that low-grade infection that was just ignored, or higher-grade problems that needed Serious Money to fix, when there wasn't even Non-Serious Money in the checkbook, so it was just let go, for a while, and a while longer -- until it had gone too far.

Dentists are expensive, dentists are scary, but seriously people, take care of your teeth.  If you Don't Do Dentists, figure out what you need to do to make the experience liveable.  Valium, music and earphones, stuffed animal, a friend to sit next to the chair and hold your hand -- whatever it takes, right?

Promise me.

Comments

IN WHICH ROLANNI GOES TO THE DENTIST

[mary wyss (from livejournal.com)]

Having started the dental reconstruction process in 2009 please follow that very good advice. It is a long and expensive process and there are bound to be detours along the way. Please consider a waterpik in addition to just brushing. Microscopic food particles can be dislodged and the gums stimulated.

My case is a little extreme but 7 teeth were surgically removed, bones grafted and finally implants installed after a sinus resection. Then braces were suggested and that took 3 years. The braces were removed 2013 implant crowns were put in and eating became enjoyable again.

We waited until our children were done with college to start this process but it felt just like paying tuition.

I was very lucky because we a friend who is a pediatric dentist. He recommended a prosthodontist and the two of them agreed on the oral surgeon.

Modern dentistry is much less painful but the right dentist(s) made a huge difference.

This was the treatment plan my original dentist told me to follow when I was 30. He is still the best dentist that I know but the plan was only a dream then waiting to be invented. He was my father.