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judecorpI had my semi-annual dental check-up today. I go to the most annoying dental office ever. It seems like each dentist in the practice is there one day a week, two days tops. And they don't let you see any old dentist, you have to keep seeing the same one. So if you're going twice a year, that's not so bad, but if you have to go more than that... yeah, annoying, especially when you have a job where you tend to see the same people on the same day of the week every week.
So my former dentist (who only worked on Tuesdays) is on maternity leave and I now have a new dentist (who only works on Wednesdays). I found this out today. Today, when I waited in the waiting room for 30 minutes before they called me for x-rays, and then sat at LEAST another 10-15 in the chair waiting for the dentist. So I have this new dentist and as much as the Tuesday Dentist was annoying with her lack of personality, Wednesday Dentist is a Dental Fatalist.
TD always told me I had good teeth and gums, which is very affirming since I am a brushing and flossing nazi. When I saw her for the first time (after 5 years of no dentist), I had to get some work done but not a terrible amount, and everything has been fine ever since. Now WD starts off by saying she wants to replace two of my old fillings in case there is decay under them. Mind you, they have a LASERBEAM to check for decay at this dentist, but apparently WD doesn't use the LASERBEAM, she just eyeballs. The LASERBEAM did not find decay under my fillings. But whatever, I like white fillings better anyway, and these are old, and I know the old metal fillings can crack and be bad and all of that.
And then she starts telling me that I have these majorly receding gums and she wants me to see a periodontist. She asks me several times if my gums bleed when I brush (no, nor when I floss). She asks me several times how old I am (30). She continues to tell me that I am so young to have all of these receding gums, especially around this one tooth. I tell her that around the one particular tooth the gum had split once (I can't remember if it was from an injury or a food mishap or what) and it had healed that way, at least 6 years ago. She said that was not possible. But hello, I was there. So whatever.
So I ask her, "What causes this sort of concerning gum recession?" and she tells me gingivitis. I tell her that I don't see how I can have gingivitis when I floss every day, and she doesn't answer. So we start the cleaning with that scraper thing, and she's digging around (yuck) and when she is done, she says, "Wow, your gums are really good, didn't bleed at all," and I wanted to say, "Gee, I guess I don't have gingivitis then," but instead I just said, "That's good." But I do believe I covered the 'don't bleed' part of the conversation a while back. (And yes, I am still 30. And no, for the third time, I do not go to school, I work full time. In Dorchester. And by the way, I am supposed to be at work RIGHT NOW but I waited nearly 45 minutes for this appointment.) I asked what the periodontist could do to fix it and she said that she didn't know but she didn't think there was anything reparative, only preventative. Which I think is called FLOSSING.
I've decided that for now I do not want to consult with a periodontist. I agree that there are areas where my gums are a bit low, but they have been like that as long as I can remember, at least for the last several years, and TD certainly never said anything about it. And I don't have gingivitis.
I just hate dentists so much. I am annoyed about going in for the two filling replacements (especially about PAYING) but I know that it is better to just do it before I could be knocked up (I go in August 9th. I might do my first shot of Follistim on the 9th if I get my period on the 7th on schedule, but I will definitely not be in the world of knocking up.) in case a filling DID break and you're not supposed to get dental work done when you're pregnant. Ugh. I just hate the dentist. I hate having random people be all up in my mouth.
Also, they let a brand new hygienist (I think she might have beeing doing an internship) do my cleaning (with the polish) and it was the worst cleaning I ever had. I think she missed whole teeth, and she couldn't control the spinner thing and was spraying polish everywhere. When I was done, my face and shirt were COVERED with red goo.
So my former dentist (who only worked on Tuesdays) is on maternity leave and I now have a new dentist (who only works on Wednesdays). I found this out today. Today, when I waited in the waiting room for 30 minutes before they called me for x-rays, and then sat at LEAST another 10-15 in the chair waiting for the dentist. So I have this new dentist and as much as the Tuesday Dentist was annoying with her lack of personality, Wednesday Dentist is a Dental Fatalist.
TD always told me I had good teeth and gums, which is very affirming since I am a brushing and flossing nazi. When I saw her for the first time (after 5 years of no dentist), I had to get some work done but not a terrible amount, and everything has been fine ever since. Now WD starts off by saying she wants to replace two of my old fillings in case there is decay under them. Mind you, they have a LASERBEAM to check for decay at this dentist, but apparently WD doesn't use the LASERBEAM, she just eyeballs. The LASERBEAM did not find decay under my fillings. But whatever, I like white fillings better anyway, and these are old, and I know the old metal fillings can crack and be bad and all of that.
And then she starts telling me that I have these majorly receding gums and she wants me to see a periodontist. She asks me several times if my gums bleed when I brush (no, nor when I floss). She asks me several times how old I am (30). She continues to tell me that I am so young to have all of these receding gums, especially around this one tooth. I tell her that around the one particular tooth the gum had split once (I can't remember if it was from an injury or a food mishap or what) and it had healed that way, at least 6 years ago. She said that was not possible. But hello, I was there. So whatever.
So I ask her, "What causes this sort of concerning gum recession?" and she tells me gingivitis. I tell her that I don't see how I can have gingivitis when I floss every day, and she doesn't answer. So we start the cleaning with that scraper thing, and she's digging around (yuck) and when she is done, she says, "Wow, your gums are really good, didn't bleed at all," and I wanted to say, "Gee, I guess I don't have gingivitis then," but instead I just said, "That's good." But I do believe I covered the 'don't bleed' part of the conversation a while back. (And yes, I am still 30. And no, for the third time, I do not go to school, I work full time. In Dorchester. And by the way, I am supposed to be at work RIGHT NOW but I waited nearly 45 minutes for this appointment.) I asked what the periodontist could do to fix it and she said that she didn't know but she didn't think there was anything reparative, only preventative. Which I think is called FLOSSING.
I've decided that for now I do not want to consult with a periodontist. I agree that there are areas where my gums are a bit low, but they have been like that as long as I can remember, at least for the last several years, and TD certainly never said anything about it. And I don't have gingivitis.
I just hate dentists so much. I am annoyed about going in for the two filling replacements (especially about PAYING) but I know that it is better to just do it before I could be knocked up (I go in August 9th. I might do my first shot of Follistim on the 9th if I get my period on the 7th on schedule, but I will definitely not be in the world of knocking up.) in case a filling DID break and you're not supposed to get dental work done when you're pregnant. Ugh. I just hate the dentist. I hate having random people be all up in my mouth.
Also, they let a brand new hygienist (I think she might have beeing doing an internship) do my cleaning (with the polish) and it was the worst cleaning I ever had. I think she missed whole teeth, and she couldn't control the spinner thing and was spraying polish everywhere. When I was done, my face and shirt were COVERED with red goo.
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no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 02:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 03:05 am (UTC)Then again, I don't have that many fillings, but STILL. Ugh.
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Date: 2006-07-27 03:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 06:18 pm (UTC)that shouldn't happen.
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Date: 2006-07-27 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 03:12 am (UTC)I pride myself on my good dental care too, and I would be incensed if someone commented on my (stellar) gums. Give that dentist a good punch from me.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:39 pm (UTC)I love people who are anal about teeth. I love brushing and flossing!
no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 05:12 am (UTC)i have a cracked filling that needs to be replaced (bs)
i have several cavities, all of which need immediate attention
all 3 of my remaining wisdom teeth need to be removed
i need to buy a water pik
my kids will use the water pik when they *need* braces
i need a prescription flouride toothpaste
my kids need prescription flouride drops
i need to see the dentist for a CARE PLAN
i need to use an irrigation syringe for my wisdom teeth that are left
yeah. i'm NEVER going to see her again. i felt like i was in brother cliff's office getting reamed.
that no dental work while pregnant thing? i don't buy it. i had a tooth pulled last week and a cleaning this week. i'm thinking having a tooth pulled is no worse than having a cavity filled. there is the unpleasant factor, being that you're probably already nauseous, but mostly i think it's an issue of dentists covering their asses, so in case something does go wrong, you don't come back to blame your kid's IQ on your dental work.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 11:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 06:11 pm (UTC)(The most-used attachment on our Waterpik is a sinus irrigator.)
no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 07:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 09:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:41 pm (UTC)At least the dentist didn't LOOK like Bro. Cliff!
Also, I am cool with cleanings during pregnancy but I don't think I would want fillings or root canals or whatever. Just personal preference. I am doing so much work and spending so much cash to get pregnant!
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Date: 2006-07-27 05:13 am (UTC)check him out, he's in davis square. it's worth the drive.
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Date: 2006-07-28 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 11:42 am (UTC)EVIL. The woman I go to now is lovely and charming, and doesn't try to scare the shit out of me either.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:47 pm (UTC)I hate dentists that like to rush to the root canal. Aaron went to one of those once who wanted to give him FOUR root canals.
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Date: 2006-07-27 11:52 am (UTC)I'd rather be at the gyno than the dentist. So when I walk in I tell anyone that asks me how I am today how much I hate the dentist. I've found that when you start doing that they treate you very differntly.
I LOVE my dentist in PA before I moved down here to NC. They had TV's in the rooms.
But give me a gyno appt over a cleaning.
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Date: 2006-07-28 08:49 pm (UTC)The best dentist I ever had was in Maine.
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Date: 2006-07-28 08:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:57 pm (UTC)Good luck, have a safe trip, and I'm crossing my fingers for a +hpt at Pennsic!
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Date: 2006-07-28 09:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 09:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 11:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 12:26 pm (UTC)IN OCTOBER.
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Date: 2006-07-28 08:45 pm (UTC)My dentist's office is actually much better than that. You can usually get in within the week - and for an emergency, even sooner. That's CRAZY!
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Date: 2006-07-27 03:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-27 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 11:32 pm (UTC)That happened at Gentle Dental in Porter Square. Before that, I went to this terrible place in Central Square on Mass Avenue.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-01 01:33 am (UTC)Were you under anaesthesia?
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Date: 2006-08-01 08:40 pm (UTC)I think I paid $120, something like I paid half and my insurance paid half because it was periodontal instead of dental work and my plan only fully covered official dental work. It was somewhat elective b/c he said I could let it go and wait until it hurt me to fix it (root of tooth being exposed, etc) or I could fix it now so it didn't get worse, somewhat of being preventative measure.
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Date: 2006-08-01 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 02:10 am (UTC)If I ever pursued such a thing, it would be after all of this TTC business. But I appreciate the info!