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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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....."