A trip to the dentist is rarely pleasant.
Since Yours Truly was a small gaffer trips to the dentist have been dreaded and delayed, sometimes requiring more time in that chair than would have been needed.
I can’t stand anything in my mouth for any length of time. That may explain why I don’t chew my food a lot.
Not having been to my dentist since before the Covid-19 disaster, I was worried. After five years there were three or four sensitive spots on my pearlies.
Were they all cavities that needed filling? Or were some going to need those expensive crowns?
The night before my first appointment was spent tossing, turning and squirming.
First was the dread of a cleaning. Last time I went they were unable to take an X-ray. By the time the dental hygienist got to push the button I had gagged and spit out the X-ray material. Twice they tried to no avail.
The thought of someone poking and pulling with tiny tools in my teeth gave me the shivers.
The dreaded day came. My file contained a warning of my short gag reflex. I always go to the dentist on an empty stomach, just in case.
To my surprise the X-ray was totally different. It was like an X-ray machine at the hospital. I stood in front and an X-ray device circled around my head twice. No gagging necessary.
The cleaning wasn’t as terrible an experience as I had expected either.
To prevent me from gagging so often a substance was placed on my gums. That stopped the gag reflex from happening too often.
The X-ray and check-up by Dr. Mike revealed no cavities, but one 20-year-old crown on a partial plate had “eroded” and needed re-building.
“Oh, no,” I thought. “Not that sticky plasticine stuff stuck in my mouth for what seemed an eternity to get an impression!”
Before I could say anything Dr. Mike informed me the process had changed radically. They take a scan of the tooth needing work and then make a new one to exact size with a 3-D printer, take out old and put in the new.
When I told my partner about the crown re-build she said that was probably caused by my chewing chicken bones.
I love the tasty marrow. Guess I’ll have to dig out the nutcracker.
Thinking about my visits to the dentist made me grateful for the service provided. It must take a special type of person to work on people’s teeth all day and look into their mouths.
Now I’m waiting to find out how much my insurance will pay, or will I need another job?
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
