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

[the wol (from livejournal.com)]

Hey, I have more root canals than I have live teeth, as was graphically brought home to me by recent set of neck x-rays (one this way and one this way). It's not so much the pain as the noise of the drill. Affects me the same way as fingernails on a blackboard. Nitrous oxide and portable music with ear buds works for me.