A day of my mouth

[vaneramos]

Much less interesting than travel plans is the fact that I went to the dentist this morning for the first time in about three years (I haven't had dental insurance since 1996). The good news is there don't appear to be any new pressing problems, although he won't be able to tell for sure until my teeth are properly cleaned. The bad news is that there's so much tartar under my gums that the hygienist needs another session in September to finish cleaning them. She suggested freezing my mouth, but I endured the uncomfortable scraping and a few twinges of cold-sensitivity; nothing is worse than a needle. Most of the toothaches I get are probably sensitivity due to receding gums rather than any new cavities.

The bigger problem is two broken teeth. One is my upper left wisdom tooth (all four of which I've had since I was 14; I have a wide jaw and they're relatively cavity-free, so I've never needed them extracted), but he says it isn't worth saving. We'll keep it as long as it doesn't present any problems, then pull it.

The other is a lower molar, which he wants to save. It will cost about $1,000. He said it can wait for a year or so until I can afford it. Actually, the tooth has been broken more than three years without further incident, so I'm inclined to wait and see.

Just like I've waited to see about the one upper premolar I'm missing. The dental surgeon who extracted it said I might need an implant if my teeth started to shift. That was 1984. The haven't moved.

For now my dentist drilled off the sharp edge of the fracture and put a temporary protective coating over the broken surface. Now it won't irritate my tongue.

The session cost $175, about half what I expected. Of course, she only finished cleaning three-eighths of my mouth.

Okay, that is a day in the history of my mouth. Fascinating, I know.