Ode to the Dentist

So, some of you might be happy for me, but some of you might get angry at what I'm about to tell you. I went to the Dentist Today. Yes, its true. Its good because I went, but maybe bad because its been nearly six years.

I hated the last dentist I went to. I blame him for mistreating me, for falsifying x-rays, making erroneous diagnosis, and just plain being a greedy dishonest person. If I ever see him again, or even remember his name I'll go further into his evil deceit that he did to my mouth. The first dentist I ever had was good. I was young and barley remember it. All I remember is that I had outstanding reviews of my dental hygiene, no matter what I did or didn't do at home for the last six months. I was even told that my tooth enamel was outstanding. But then after my mission I go to this new guy. And all of a sudden every time I go, there's a new problem. No matter how much I did to prevent it. He would stand and look and look at the x-rays until he decided on what to label 'cavity'. I later find out that my parents switched dentists because they thought this guy was drill happy on them. But for some reason, he's not drill happy on us kids?! My parents in that instance (oh, and many many others) used a lack of common sense, were irresponsible and were just down right negligent. Yes mom and dad, I blame you partially for being dumb enough not to switch your kids to a decent dentist, but only yourselves. It could have even been better not to send me at all perhaps.

In the last many months or even year, I've had two isolated dental incidences where I had a tooth, or area of the mouth that hurt enough where it could be considered a problem. It didn't last more than a few days each time, until now. Since last Wednesday my right cheek has hurt regularly. Enough for me to make an appointment with my scheduled provider. Oh yes, I've had the insurance, I just hadn't taken advantage of it.

I do the usual first visit stuff and then I was seated before I could really peruse all of the magazines laying around. I sit down and the dentist comes in and takes a look in my mouth. Within a few seconds he already has a diagnosis on what exactly my problem is. I was fairly surprised really. I explained that I had a toothache, and pointed to where it hurt. He told me that I have no cavities, but that I need a night-guard. I was confused because my jaw/teeth area really hurt in the last few days. He obviously had looked at my info sheet because he asked if I was an architect and if I do computer drafting I will clinch my teeth. I don't see how one was related to the other, but whatever... I've clinched my teeth since high school, since that evil dentist put sub par fillings in my mouth. They've honestly felt like they were loose a few times, or that I might pull them out with dental floss, when used. He quickly explained it a few different times in his funny little accent. He may have seen how puzzled I looked because he then decided to show me. I'm sure it made sense to him. But he handed me a mirror and leaned me back and then started banging on each of my teeth with the rear blunt end of his dental instruments. I thought it was going to hurt, but it actually didn't. It was just weird watching him do that mostly.

He then hands me a chart and it explains the degradation of teeth on it, and then explains at what level I am at. I figure it wasn't going to be good because I haven't been to the dentist in a while. He assures me that Its not horrible, but then again its not the greatest either. All the while he's prodding around in my mouth with instruments, and also asking me questions.

It was great with the questions. Imagine four fingers and a metal pick all in your mouth, and then someone asks you a question. I didn't know how to answer at first, but then just resulted in 'uh-hua for yes, and ut-uha for no'. Kind of like the one sound for yes, and two sounds for no. He seemed to catch on. At one point he asked me to explain something as he took his fingers out of my mouth. I swallowed, and attempted an answer, but he wasn't wanting an answer, he was just grabbing another instrument. Before I could get into my answer he jabbed his fingers back into my mouth and then corrected my answer, which I thought was supposed to be opinion. I guess not.

I think because i hadn't been in a while he decided to be extra aggressive. Sure there was stuff that he had to scrape off, and he told me that. At first it was 'OK, your teeth will be soar for a little bit', but then when he gets into it, then it comes out that 'Oh, your mouth will be soar for 2-3 days'! I guess for that reason its good that he's telling me these things two to three times. He works you up to the real answer, which might seem daunting at first.

So the assistant starts putting this stuff on my gums/teeth with a large q-tip. It felt wierd, slimy, and cold, but then I make a gesture to swallow and I'm quickly told not to. Turns out it was a numbing agent. I was intrigued with how it was working and then why it was being used. Then the dentist came back in and used the same technique on me, 'oh, you might feel this', 'Let me know if you're uncomfortable', and then 'This will hurt, brace yourself.' The instrument looked small and sharp, but it made a sound like a drill and it pinched like tweezers. It started slow, but I guess he started enjoying it cause he was really pushing into my gums, at my teeth bases. There really must have been something going on there cause he was treating it like a war zone!

Finally after he made the rounds he gave the drill device to an assistant and let her have a turn. She was much nicer and it went much quicker. She also lectured me about how to brush and floss and how often etc. I'm sure she learned it from him cause I heard all the same things. At the end of her lecture I hear "... thats why it bled so much." I think I accidentally let my question slip out "I'm bleeding?" So she shows me the mirror and starts repeating her lecture. I'm looking at myself and I'm not seeing to much blood, nothing out of the ordinary , then I push my tongue into the back of my teeth/gums and then Youzers! She wasn't kidding! It was like I'd just been beat up. Now I understood the discomfort from earlier. To myself I thought that the dentist shouldn't have used his drill-tweezers to dig so deep, but then I could hear every dental related friend of mine saying, nope, its your fault. So I kept quiet.

And my mouth still hurts. I stopped home for a second afterwards to regain my composure. My mouth hurt the rest of the day, thats for sure. I could then see that he wasn't kidding about hurting for the next few days.

After I get to work I lookup all this stuff on what he told me and I guess there could be some truth to what he had said. Maybe it hasn't been good to clinch my teeth since high school. oh boy. what have I done now...


I'm kind of relieved that he said no cavities, but then again, whats causing my horrible sleep-depriving pains?!