Thursday 28 August 2008

Once in a Decade

Today was that momentous day once in ten years when I headed off to the dentist. Four and a half hours later I am reminded why I don't like going. My face is still numb. The scale and clean was more traumatic than the filling and I don't think she filed the filling down properly because it feels wrong.

Is it just me, or does the anesthetic last a whole bunch longer than they say it will? At this rate I think I'll be lucky to enjoy my dinner without feeling like everything will fall out of my mouth!

The good news is that for all my neglect (which is based on budget, rather than neglect, as such) the only work they had to do was to replace a filling that had started leaking. Pretty good going for avoiding the dentist, I'd say. Now what to do about the lump in my tooth!? The public dental system isn't as easy to work with as a private dentist, for an appointment.

9 comments:

Chookie said...

You can admit that you're scared of the dentist, don't give us that budget nonsense! Then again, they might have charged extra to clean out ten years worth of gunk from your mouth... ewwww! Don't despise the teeth God gave you; they should be stewarded along with the rest of creation.

Tracy said...

My budget doesn't allow for regular visits to the dentist either, and that's the truth. We don't have insurance.

The "extra" filling should wear down on its own soon, if not, you'll have to go back for more filing.

Left-Handed Housewife said...

Thank goodness we have dental insurance through my husband's work--I have seriously problematic teeth plus a dentist phobia. Without insurance, I'd never go and would have a toothless grin in no time.

They always say anesthetic will wear off in an hour, but it never does.

I bet the filling will wear down without you having to go in. I hope so!

Frances

Anonymous said...

At least you go regularly even if the visits are ten years apart. I don't know if it is fear of the dental work that keeps some people away or the fear of 'getting into trouble' off the dentist for not visiting more often.

Tracy said...

I found out it was only 6 years ago I went to my dentist. Not quite so bad as 10 years. And it seriously is a budget issue in our house. I'm not afraid of the dentist because my teeth are pretty good. The dentist I saw yesterday was a very rough dentist though. My regular dentist is a lovely gentle compassionate man. It just costs $65 to walk in his door!

I have an appointment in TWO MONTHS! to get that filling buffed down. I'm on the waiting list with my own dentist for the same thing hopefully before that. The receptionist said two months is too long to wait and it should be done sooner.

Anonymous said...

Ugh...shudder....the dentist! But, I do go every 6 months nowadays after having to have a lot of treatment in one go. Never again! I keep my appointments now and so far have avoided any nasty stuff! xx

Aprille Roberts said...

Amen Tracy! I loathe going to the dentist. I spent much of my childhood there, and then went a long time without having to go, and when I finally went back it was not a fun time. My last two out of three visits were traumatic in fact! On both of those visits my body reacted badly to two different anesthetics - not a fun time!!! And I can really relate about the filling. They did a filling on me a few years ago that did not feel right AT ALL! Anyway, I make it okay with it now, I guess it turned out all right. Sorry you had a less than fun time of it.

Love and sympathy :0(
Aprille :0)

Sean Butcher said...

People always have their reason why they don't like visiting the dentists. My buddy from Myrtle Beach doesn't like the idea of someone poking your mouth, but some just don't have a budget. I don't know, but anesthetic works for me. I'd rather have 'em than none 'coz I'm not good in pain tolerance. LOL. Though it's kinda late to ask, how are your teeth now?

Tracy said...

Hi Sean

As I recall, the anesthetic wore off after six long hours and I had to go to my own dentist at a hefty cost to fix the filling.

I decided that perhaps saving up to see a good dentist is better than the public health system 'butcher' I visited this day. This dentist is indicative of why people avoid dentists, whereas my private dentist is a lovely gentle man whose work is done well and the doing of it is barely noticed.