Finding the Good in the Bad

Last week I had some really awful (and embarrassing) happened to me last week…I went to the dentist.

Yes, a lot of people hate going.  I’d actually never really minded it until I moved to Chicago and had to find a new dentist.  In Spring 2010, based on Yelp reviews and my dental insurance, I found one.  I went in for a check-up and it was TERRIBLE, like ghetto scary.  There were two rooms; the check-in/waiting area and then the dental area which had two chairs and a fabric divider between the two.  It also had an office desk and shelves with all of the patient files.  The drains on the floor were rusty.  When I said in the chair, I thought it was going to break.  There was no hygienist, so the dentist did all of the work himself.  The whole time I was in the chair, I prayed that I wouldn’t need to come back for any dental work.

Trying to make conversation, I said to the dentist: “I’m really good about brushing, but I’m not so good with flossing on a regular basis”.  His reply, a lecture? No. “Yea, most people aren’t”.

Needless to say, I was somewhat traumatized and therefore (stupidly) neglected to go to the dentist again for almost two years (GROSS! And, also what a waste of money for my dental insurance!).

My BIL recommended his dentist so I made an appointment and went last week.  Much cleaner, cheerier and nicer office!  However, the bad news was that I had not one, not two, … not five, but SIX CAVITIES he wants to fill! (See, embarrassing!) He said three are full-fledged cavities and the others aren’t bad at all, but if he’s doing fillings, he may as well do those too. It’s not my fault, I swear.  (Well I know it is, but…) I am prone to cavities and have really sensitive teeth.  I don’t drink pop. I don’t put sugar in my coffee. I don’t eat a lot of hard candies and I chew sugar free gum.  It’s just that I’m destined to get them. (It runs in the family, my dad is the same way and the dentist said that it’s often hereditary)

I’m terrified.  Despite my large teeth, I have a small mouth and I’m also claustrophobic.  I honestly used to bite my old dentist all the time.  I mentally freak out that all these hands and tools are in my mouth and then I try to shut it.  Plus, I have a cold right now, so breathing is going to be even harder. My appointments are Monday and Wednesday of next week. Eeek!

But, I suppose there is light at the end of every tunnel, and so that’s what I’m trying to tell myself.

Yesterday, I was eating an apple for a snack and took a bit only to realize that my bottom permanent retainer was no longer glued on one side.  I could move it with my tongue, gained a lisp when I tried to say anything with an “s’, and couldn’t eat solid foods.

Thankfully, because the dentist has mentioned it was loss and they’d reglue it for me on Monday, I immediately called him.  Even though he’s not an ortho, he agreed to fix it for me and I was able to get in during the afternoon to fix it.

So, despite having realized how bad my teeth are last week, I am SO happy that I went to the dentist when I did and that way when the retainer broke, I knew exactly who to call…otherwise, I would have been screwed!