Who wants their teeth done by the Marquis de Sade?

[raybear]

Here's the good part about waiting ten years to go to the dentist for a check-up and cleaning (and being honest that it's been ten years): they didn't really nag me about anything. Probably because they knew I would have no problem walking out that door and waiting another ten years. Seriously, he said things looked pretty good considering and he didn't have too much work. But of course to me it felt like a solid hour of scraping with that metal hook which was NOT pleasant. To say the least. Then he said almost absentmindedly during the scraping, "and yeah, you should floss a little more, you have some typical gingivitis and that will fix it right up." No nagging or stern voice.

Here's the bad part about waiting ten years to go to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning: I have "a few small cavities and one big one". I didn't even want to clarify what exactly a "few" meant. I now have to decide if I want silver fillings, which are visible but can last forever, or if I want the tooth-color fillings which last 5-10 years. I'm leaning towards silver because the thought of replacing them sound horrible. But keep in mind, up until now, I have never had a cavity. So I don't even know what the process is like in getting them filled. Anyone who would like to share, please feel free, but only if the stories don't include things like sliced gums or infections or hospitalizations or blinding pain.

I'm rewarding myself with wine and cheese and books.

There was one funny moment when I first got in the chair. This was not a plush dentist office -- it was subset of a hospital and it felt like a hospital, with the grey linoleum and fluorescent ligthing and everyone wearing disposable surgery plasticky scrubs over their regular cloth scrubs. I had filled out the new patient forms in the waiting room and he says, so it says here you had chest reconstruction surgery? [When it comes to medical and legal stuff, I pretty much disclose everything even if it doesn't initially seem pertinent, without necessarily disclosing the full picture, i.e. I list testosterone as a medication I'm on and they asked if I had recent surgery so I listed that, but I ignore checking gender boxes or saying anything overt.] I simply answered, yes. He pauses, then said "um, what IS that?" I pause. "Um." I pause again. I'm also acutely aware of the dental hygenist also in the room behind me, prepping materials. "Um, its basically....uh....for gynomastia."
"Oh." More long pausing. "So you had no problems with the anesthesia or anything though?"
"No, not at all."

And then he moved right along. But when he walked me out to the front afterwards to make a new appointment, I swear I caught him staring at my chest. And I'm totally wearing a tight t-shirt today too, which made me glad. Cause hell, if he's thinking I got some gddamned cosmetic plastic surgery, I might as well show that isht off.

Comments

fillings

[sorting-laundry.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure which type I'd choose, but...the "silver" ones have mercury in them. Just so ya know.

Sorry about the cavities.

Re: fillings

[raybear.livejournal.com]

Whoa. Good to know.

I had made peace with having the cavities before I went -- I was just happy I have no need for a root canal. (Yet.)

[econ-queen.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about the fillings. It's really not too bad. The only thing that hurts is the shot but that is always not nearly as bad as I think it will be.

[raybear.livejournal.com]

Do you have an opinion on which type of fillings?

[moander.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'd get the "silver" ones because of the mercury. I have a few composite ones and they have lasted 10+ years already and no one told me that they would have to get replaced at some point. Good luck! Bring some music when you go and listen to it instead of the drill it makes it much more pleasant.

[econ-queen.livejournal.com]

That comment was actually from me. I don't know what happened.

[moander.livejournal.com]

shit, now he'll know we're the same person!

but then why am i responding to this?

[masscooper.livejournal.com]

The biggest thing about getting cavities filled is to be clear about whether the novicaine has taken appropriately. And relaxing about the drill. Novicaine is totally sufficient for fillings.

I should say that I only have one filling and it's relatively superficial. I don't have any good stories. But I have had some unpleasant things done to my mouth (4 years of braces, pulled teeth and all four wisdom teeth out at once). The cavity turned out to be scarier beforehand than anything that happened after that. It's porcelain, and I have no idea when I'll have to get it replaced, I don't recall being told I'd have to get it fixed in 5-10 years, but that was 11 years ago. So I guess I should get my ass to a dentist.

[masscooper.livejournal.com]

and you can probably get them to give you topical before the shot, which makes the shot much less bad.

[thebrownhornet.livejournal.com]

I've had a few fillings and had nothing more than a quick pinch (my dentist calls it "pressure"), so you should be fine.

[marivice.livejournal.com]

I think the shot getting the pain med hurts...but the filling is ok. I do not have the best teeth...And I have BOTH kinds of fillings. Go with the tooth colored ones. I regret the recent dentist visit where I was being cheap and got the silver tone ones. Actually, my denist was a quack and did not offer the tooth colored ones because HE was being cheap.

Ask for the gas.

[unscrambled.livejournal.com]

Fillings are unpleasant, but not really painful. The scrapey thing is the part I don't like. Ask for the gas, I'm just saying. Then you won't give a fuck about what's happening, which is pretty great at the dentist.

Also, excellent work actually going, staying, returning.

Re: Ask for the gas.

[raybear.livejournal.com]

There was a moment when I almost grabbed my bag and snuck out of the room, after the cleaning and xrays and checkup -- this was when I thought the fillings were ALSO going to happen. I didn't realize I had to come back anyway. So I'm glad I didn't flee when I did, because it would have been pointlessly dramatic!

Just to warn you, since your dental plan is the same, if you're going to the place on Wellington, the people are there are nice, but pretty no-nonsense. And the rooms are tiny. Also, they seemed especially concerned about latex allergies.

Re: Ask for the gas.

[dommeyourass.livejournal.com]

oh no.....please don't ask for the gas. have you heard about what happened to that five year old girl?!

i have silver fillings since i was in grade school and have had porcelain work done on chips that is annoying to get replaced every couple of years, so i would probably suggest the silver fillings. although that mercury business is scary too.

don't listen to damon. getting a shot of novacaine is not "a little pinch". but others are right in that the fillings are not that big a deal. the shot is the most painful. and the sound of the drill the most disturbing. but it's not the most uncomfortable of dental procedures and pretty quick. you should ask louche though. she's had a lot of dental work done.

Re: Ask for the gas.

[unscrambled.livejournal.com]

As someone who weighs 6x more than a five year old girl, I don't worry about this. YMMV.

Re: Ask for the gas.

[raybear.livejournal.com]

I can't believe you just wrote "YMMV".

Re: Ask for the gas.

[unscrambled.livejournal.com]

I think one of my people is a 45 year old white guy mouth breather who lives with his mom and wears plaid shirts and pleated pants up to his armpits. He makes people uncomfortable when he stands next to them. He played french horn in his high school band. He wrote that comment, I think.

[saltjam.livejournal.com]

I haven't been to the dentist in over 10 years and I'm scared to death. I definitely have some gingivitis going on and a million cavaties. I hate having to disclose surgeries too..it's always so annoying. I love the way people come back and are like "um..it says here....."