Monday, July 13, 2009

Fill Me Up

I don't think I mentioned that last month I had my semi-annual teeth cleaning.

If I didn't, I know I didn't mention that I had a filling that needed to be replaced. Or as Dr. Dorothy said, "....or possibly fit you for a crown. I'll know better once I get in there."

Yikes! I mean - you all know how I love the dentist (sarcasm, people). Ok, I don't mind it as much anymore because I'm anal about my oral hygiene, but there was a time that made me squeamish to go.

Most of that was due to my original fillings all being done without Novocaine. Including this one, which contrary to people saying - "oh, they were probably just little pits which is why you got nothing" - Dr. D said, "it's a really deep one" (that's what she said!").

But like a trooper, after spin class on Saturday (and before Rosanne Cash - man I had a busy Saturday), I trekked to the dentist office and reclined back in that chair for 35 minutes of drill and fill.

I walked in and said, "numb me within an inch of my life" - and they did. I always hear people complain about the shot, but they don't bother me. Yes, the one in the palate hurt a little, but hardly unbearable. After that, I just let them do what they had to do.

Actually, what I also said was: "just because it is a downward economy, don't just be putting a crown in me to get extra cash!". She laughed. I was only half kidding.

I only took one picture - as ugly as it is. ..and it's not even of my mouth.

I wanted one of my mouth but it was too hard to get. Tooth #14 sits in the way way back. Though she did insist on showing it to me via mirror after the filling came out, but before it was refilled. HUGE hole....for a tooth, I guess.

She wanted to make sure I knew that the tooth would be filled with a combination of regular filling stuff and some super glue kind of stuff....so the tooth would hold together! Nice!!!! With that much drilled out - along with additional decay, though the tooth was saved, there is just a lot less of it for structural support.

I love getting older (oooh. sarcasm again!)

But the filling was about 32 years old, so it was time, I guess. That is two new fillings in as many years. I have six others from the same era. Maybe five. That one crown I actually do have might have been a filling long ago.

Oh - and they couldn't do an off-white colouring. Like I care. If anyone can see that far back into my mouth, I should give them something to actually see!

I got out without any blood, sweat or tears. And didn't use the iPhone for music. Nothing seems to cut through that drilling noise, so why bother? Someone would make a fortune designing a silent dental drill. That's 86% o the anxiety anyway.

Oh, btw....I used yoga to my advantage during this too. You involuntarily find yourself tensing up during these kinds of sessions and I just used some stuff to really relax my neck, face and inside of my mouth.

Seriously - one of the things I love about yoga is how much tension we carry around in our face and mouth. If you can relax the latter, the former follows. It helped immensely in the dental chair.

So now I have additional metal in me, which means I weigh more! Bother!



Song by: Shawn Colvin

5 comments:

Curtis said...

My childhood dentist, Dr. Lloyd, smelled like stale cigarettes, coffee, slight perspiration, and a tang of Aqua Velva. He never used novocain and never washed his hands.

Worse part is, I have so many fillings I set off metal alarms at airports.

I hate dentistry.

Birdie said...

My mouth is my money pit. And apparently my system eats anesthetic. My dentist commented that he'd given me "enough to knock out a horse" when I complained I was feeling his drill. You gotta work fast with me. But I'd still go through it all to keep my teeth.

cb said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
tornwordo said...

I thought they weren't doing metal anymore? My dentist said it was either a composite or porcelain now. Something about mercury leaching into our bodies too....

garydrew01 said...

Talking about dental crowns and bridges, I just came from my Crown and Bridge Specialist and I'm glad that I already have my dental crown.