The Dentist.

Oh Dear Friend, let me just tell you about my trip to the dentist.

First however, we have to back up a bit.

Back in August I somehow got it into my head that it was time to head off to the dentist. As you may remember, after more than a decade of stubborn resistance I caved and got my teeth cleaned. I was unable, at the time of the cleaning appointment, to have my x-rays read or a care plan drawn up due to some sort of insurance red-tape. So I had my teeth cleaned, (I actually had a debridement, which is the mid-point between a deep cleaning and a regular cleaning), and returned home to wait the two weeks until I could go back for my consultation.

A couple of days later the problems started.

At first it was a sore sort of bruise-y pain in the lower left quadrant. Over the next day or two it bloomed into a womping sort of awful pain that made...everything terrible.

I called the dentist half way through my shift to report the issue.

The person on the phone seemed confused about why I hadn't had a consultation and pulled my chart.
'Oh, I see.' they say. 'He's definitely going to recommend an emergency root canal on that back tooth. No wonder you are in pain.'

Emergency root canal is *not* what I wanted to hear.
I spiraled straight into panic.
When they said they had an appointment available in an hour I immediately agreed to it, called my boss in a panic, and informed him that I had to leave. Immediately.

I drove like a crazy person to the dentist. Shaking in terror. Holding back tears.

I made it inside and by the time I was seated and the dentist came to see me I was just barely holding it together. he asked what was wrong and I started babbling about childhood dental experiences, and my crazy tooth fiend of a dentist who systematically pulled out all my baby teeth.

My dentist however, is awesome, and calmed me down very quickly.

He peered into my mouth and informed me that it was a gum issue, not a tooth issue and that everything would be okay. Sometimes debridements stir up bacteria or bacterial pockets and allow infections to take hold. It's one of those things-have-to-get-worse-before-they-get-better things.

It was really infected, my gums had actually swollen up and partially engulfed my back molar. He had to pull them away from my teeth and pack the area full of antibiotics. This required several shots, but I survived.

I returned home with several prescriptions.

The infection cleared up and two weeks later I returned for my original consultation and to have the infection monitored. The good news was it was gone, the bad news was I needed 10 teeth filled. Ick.

Two days later I returned and had the left side of my mouth fixed. I had four teeth filled, the bottom molar farthest to the back being particularly infected, it required more work than anticipated, but he managed to clean and fill it without having to give me a crown or a root canal so I really couldn't complain.

He said my teeth would be sensitive to hot/cold/pressure for a little while but as long as the pain was fleeting not to worry too much about it. Aside from the first day when all the numbness wore off, my teeth never hurt.

I put off having the right side done because of the Havasupai trip. I wanted to make sure I had at least one side of my mouth that would be in good shape. I would have been insufferable if I couldn't eat properly.

I returned from the trip and had the right side of my mouth fixed the following day. There were six teeth that needed filling on this side, but once he started filling them it became apparent I would need a seventh. That was lame.

As before, I returned home and had no pain other than at the end of the first night.

This puts us at last Friday, two weeks after the fillings were completed.

I was sitting at my desk preparing to enjoy my mid afternoon Kit-Kat. As I masticated that first marvelous bite of chocolate the entire left side of my face lit up with a horrifyingly electric womp of pain. It womped in from a mild pain into a torturous crescendo during which all I could to was squeeze my eyes shut, open my mouth and drool until it passed. It probably only lasted 45 seconds or so, but it felt like years. Then suddenly the pain was gone.

This was only the first of many, MANY similar bouts of pain over the next few hours. The whole left side of my mouth was suddenly sensitive to everything. Hot, cold, sweet, salty, everything set it off. I went to bed worrying that my Picketpost birthday hike was in jeopardy. I woke up in the morning, took a ton of Tylenol, and vowed not to let anything come in contact with that side of my mouth.

Things were mostly fine until today. This morning the pain had graduated to a continuous dull ache, interspersed with bright white flashes of blinding pain. An executive decision was made to ignore the situation.

By noon it was apparent that this plan was failing. I frantically called the dentist, trying to remain calm and sound and unconcerned as possible. They offered me a 230 appointment and I took it.

I arrived at my appointment, certain that this was the gum infection returning. I was calm and ready for my face to stop hurting. I was lead into the room and some x-rays were taken. The girl who did this was super nice, and tried to make small talk with me. I however, am notoriously bad at chit-chat and it was relatively awkward. She turned her attention to my teeth and told me that that back left tooth had a pretty massive filling in it, and it was likely that he would be wanting to do a root canal on it.

Then.
She left me.
Alone.

For 45 minutes.

I was fine for a while, but the longer I sat there staring at my x-rays, the more concerned I became. I didn't want any of this. Just three short months ago my mouth was fine. I was never in any discomfort, my teeth always felt great, and my gums were never infected. Then I started listening to other people and got it in my head that regular dental care was a good idea. It's been one horrible thing after another ever since.

At some point I curled up into a ball. Eventually I began silently crying. A lot. I didn't want a root canal. I didn't want any of the fillings that I got. I didn't want gum infections. None of this would have happened if I hadn't gone to the dentist to begin with. Sure, my teeth might have secretly rotted away or abscessed or whatever, and maybe it would have killed me, but maybe I wouldn't have noticed any of that. Maybe it wouldn't have been this bad.

Also, when did it become acceptable for people who are not dentists just go around casually telling people that they're going to need root canals? Are they sadists? I don't know. But it was mean and I was officially freaking out.

By the time the dentist gets in there, I am in the middle of a full blown panic attack. He looks at me and says, 'does it really hurt that bad?' I am confused about why he thinks I am in that much pain, and then I remember that I'm a blubbering mess.

I tried to explain, but most of what I said didn't make sense. I did however tell him that I was pretty sure he had ruined my teeth, and that I wanted to go home. I also may have made a series of escalating allegations regarding his desire to steal all my teeth and put them into other peoples mouths.

This all happened very quietly. Or at least, what I believed to be very quietly. It was as quiet a freak-out as one could possibly have. I was whispering, but also hyperventilating and talking very fast. They moved me to another room. Possibly so I wouldn't freak everyone else out.

A different person came in to talk with me. I'm pretty sure they sent her in to calm me down, but there was nothing she could do. The panic just had to run its course. She was however, wonderful and assured me no one was going to take my teeth, though I remain suspicious.

By the time the doctor came back in everything was fine. He confirmed my suspicions that my gums were re-infected, but said the infection was nowhere near as bad as last time. We figured out the problem with that bacterial pocket behind my rear tooth and he gave me some prescriptions. He also added a note to my file that says not to tell me anything about any dental work that anyone thinks I might need and only to let the girl who was sent in to calm me down talk to me from now on, so I've been appeased.

My mouth feels better already, but between the antibiotics and the pain medicine the rest of me feels worse (Ha!) and my head is very, very cloudy. Hopefully tomorrow is better. Both in terms of tooth pain, and in terms of general medication related discomfort.

I have to go back in two more weeks, the day after my R2R, to have the infection checked again. If anything else goes wrong with my mouth ever again, I might have to burn everything to the ground. ;)


I miss you terribly Dear Friend. I hope things there are less eventful and that YOUR teeth at least, are less irritated than mine.

Sending all my love.