Last Thursday I started feeling some tenderness when I bit down on my farthest back lower molar on the left side. It’s probably not the same molar you have back there, because I’m not fully ‘toothed’ anymore.
Since the problem could be intensified on the gum line, I left a message with the periodontist I see. The next morning they called and by Friday afternoon I was in the chair and soon out of pain.
They hadn’t fixed what was wrong, but had freed me for the short term. I returned this morning at 9:30 AM.
Going for dental work under these circumstances is a great leap of faith. I was in no pain when I got there. I would certainly leave in pain. I knew that going in.
I sat in the chair as the dentist fired up the gas. Nitrous oxide at the dentist’s office is as close as you can get to a 60s simulator! It almost makes the dentistry worthwhile… almost.
I’m not sure what he did after the gas took effect, except I do know I was injected a few times with Novocaine (which really isn’t Novocaine, but some modern day offshoot).
When it was all over, I felt thread near my gums, so I know I’ve been stitched. I’ve got a little discomfort right now and I’m taking the horse pill sized Motrin.
Have I mentioned, Helaine has had one cavity in her life – one! And we’re pretty much convinced that decades ago, her dentist needed to pay for a vacation or an unforeseen car repair and… well, the rest is history.
I’m sure my dental hygiene as a child enters into this. I’m also afraid I inherited my dental problems from my mom. I have a lifetime of memories of my mom dealing with dental surgery.
So far, when given half a chance, Steffie has inherited some of my worst traits. Maybe she can inherit her mother’s teeth?