Dentist

[cjsmith]

Went for my regular cleaning this morning. The substitute dentist says I have a cavity. It abuts my one and only filling, put in ages ago for a spot that "wasn't really a cavity but would probably become one some day and we could just do this now" sort of thing. Apparently that spot got worse. Blech.

According to my dentist I have deep crevasses in the mashing surfaces of those rear molars. It's probably amazing that I haven't had far worse cavities in there already. In fact, I know I've been very VERY lucky when it comes to teeth. (Except for size and placement, that is.) In my entire life I've only had that one proto-cavity. (And eight teeth pulled for lack of room, and some gum tissue dug out because I was chewing on it.)

I have an appointment to go have it drilled. They wanted to do it soon, I wanted to skip the time my guest is here. Hopefully January 30 will be fine.

I insisted on my regular dentist. He was willing to do the proto-cavity filling without any anaesthetic. I HATE NEEDLES! Now y'all know how much I hate them! The drilling was probably deeper than you'd think because it was in the bottom of one of those deep crevasses, but I'm still very glad the thing hadn't opened out into a real cavity before he caught it. A cavity that starts well inside the tooth to begin with wouldn't be any fun.

Maybe he'll let me go through this one with no needle, too. I hope I hope I hope. Everyone please beam some "let her do it!" energy at Dr. Frost of Palo Alto on January 30. :-)

Comments

[kateyule.livejournal.com]

My dentist is OK -- I inherited him in a sort of sidewise substitution while going to the same office & hygienist since 1982 -- but he has a maddening tendency to reassure me kindly about things that aren't the problem. Like telling me how nice & pain-free the crown work will be while he's THRUSTING FOREIGN MATERIAL INTO MY BODY TISSUE WITH A POINTY METAL THING. I'm with CJ on the inherent evilness of needles and will gladly dispense with needle-borne anesthesia for small jobs.

Got major points once at a blood draw for saying "Oh no, I have nothing against phlebotomists; I just hate needles."

No more nitrous for me, mother. It didn't mellow me out at all, left me just as pained and anxious BUT too loopy to raise my hand and complain. Ick.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Down with the evil needle empire!

That nitrous experience sounds truly awful. Yuck and double-yuck. Glad THAT'S over.