• Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 78 other subscribers

  • “Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers” — Isaac Asimov

  • Recent Posts

  • Pages

  • Categories

  • Archives

  • Blog Stats

    • 195,081 hits

Dental Nightmares

Posted on January 16, 2014 by auburnchick

There are only a few things that make me very squeamish…spiders, needles, and dental visits.

Today I came face-to-face with the third item on the list.  Yes, folks, it was time for my six-month cleaning.

I loathe going to the dentist.

I suspect my issues go back to when I was a child.  Super Sis and I were pretty much threatened that if we got cavities, things would go very badly for us.

I had perfect teeth…until I turned sixteen.  I’ll never forget being told that I had three cavities…my first.

My mom was so mad that she made me drive myself to the follow-up appointment to have them filled.  The dentist was a good thirty to forty minutes away.

I was petrified.  I already didn’t like needles.  I had no idea what to expect after the needles.

I was also grounded for a long time.

Ridiculous, I know.

When I got married and enrolled in the dental plan offered through the state, I went faithfully, never enjoying the task but doing what I was supposed to simply because I was supposed to.  I don’t think I got any more cavities for a long time…if ever after that first go-round.

In 2010, I had a bad incident with a cavity that broke free of its filling and infected a nerve.  I had two teeth pulled during that visit.  I blogged about it here.

It was awful…lots of shots…with needles…lots of pain afterward.

I didn’t go back to the dentist for a long time after that.

When the Mr. finally got me to go back (and stop wasting his money), I freaked out when I had to get x-rays done.

This, my friends, is the stuff of my nightmares.

Getting dental x-rays done is TORTURE for me.

Although I am known to talk quite a bit, my mouth is actually quite small.

My jaw doesn’t open very wide, so sticking those wing things into each side is as painful as it is uncomfortable.  I nearly gag every time as well.

One year, I was so freaked out that I sat in the chair with tears rolling down my face.  I was completely unnerved, and my body told on me…releasing the fears that I was trying to hold inside.

The dental tech was extremely mean and condescending when I cried.

I never went back to this dentist’s office.

The new place I’m at is very family friendly, but today…oh today…I wanted to run out screaming.

It was x-ray time, declared the gal.

I wanted to refuse and gingerly broached the subject.  She politely avoided my veiled request.

I went into full protection mode (remember my post yesterday about being a force to be reckoned with).

Um, yeah.

She tried to offer “suggestions,” but I wasn’t buying them and politely *ahem* told her so.

I think I offended her because she said, “I’m just trying to help.”

Yeah.

I felt like one of my students who doesn’t want help when offered…every bit as rebellious too.

The first two x-rays were o-k-a-y.  Rather than remove the wing from my mouth, she slid it over to the other side of my mouth…no easy feat.

She stuck in a new wing for the third x-ray, and things went badly from this point forward.

I don’t know if the left side of my mouth is smaller than my right, but things were not fitting right, and I know I had a deer-in-the-headlights look…pure panic…as she adjusted the x-ray machine more than once or twice to get it just right.

I really wanted to pull that wing out and stick it somewhere unpleasant, let me tell you.

It was finally time for the fourth freaking x-ray, and she tried to slide it around into position.

Yeah, right.

It didn’t work because, in case somebody didn’t get the message, MY JAW IS TOO FREAKING SMALL FOR X-RAYS.

She pulled it out and then stuck her finger under my tongue.

Why?

I have no idea.

She said, “That’s just my finger,” as I was gagging.

Uh huh.  I’m going to keep this rated G.  I quit cussing last May, but I really wanted to start back again.

She finally, finally got the stupid wing in…the pain far, far worse than the others…and snapped the stupid, stupid x-ray.

She later told me that my palette is shallow.

My teeth are small too.

Yes, dear.  Most of me is small except for my feet, and those don’t need x-ray wings stuck between the toes, thank you very much.

Then, after looking at the x-rays, she announced that everything looked great.

Gee, I wanted to say, I could have told you that without the freaking x-ray.

She was a sweet girl, but sometimes I wonder what these people are thinking.

My jaw now hurts badly, and I have a headache.

I am going to start refusing these x-rays again unless I’m having serious problems.

I really don’t care if I have a cavity brewing; I’ll wait until a cavity hits a nerve before going that route again.

This is the stuff of my nightmares.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Wednesday Hodgepodge aka Joyce’s Birthday!

Posted on September 19, 2012 by auburnchick

A very happy and belated birthday to Joyce as she celebrated her 22nd birthday yesterday!  Woo Hoo!  And still she worked…on her special day…to get the following questions primed for us.  Many thanks, Joyce!!  Onward we go!

1.  What’s the best and worst thing thing about growing older?

The best thing is having more experiences under your belt.  I find myself much more empathetic to others because I’ve either walked in their shoes or know others who have.  The worst thing is the way my body is starting to tell on me.  I discovered this last weekend while at the Auburn game.  Well, actually it was a couple of days later when my legs and feet hurt so badly from walking all over campus several times!!  Things just don’t move like they did twenty years ago!

2.  Autumn arrives this week in the Northern Hemisphere…what one thing do you love most about the fall season?

I love the crisp mornings that beg for a sweater (I wear one every day, but I don’t look stupid during the fall).  My dogs love these brisk mornings as well…so much so that I have a difficult time getting them to come back inside so I can go to work!!

3.  Speaking of fall…pumpkin seems to be flavoring everything these days-are you a fan?   What’s your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage?

Pre-vegan days, pumpkin rolls were my favorite.  I do love the taste of pumpkin when it’s added to a dessert!

4.  Since we’re on the subject of fall…what’s the worst fall you’ve ever taken?

The worst fall, by far, happened when Rooster was in kindergarten.  He’d broken a small bone in his foot one afternoon at the park, and he woke up in the middle of the night crying up a storm (I would have too), so I gathered him up, pillow, blanket, and all, and began to carry him downstairs so he wouldn’t disturb Chicky and the Mr.

Well, my right foot slipped out from under me as I was halfway down the stairs, and down we went.  I actually slid down while leaning forward, knees bent under me, so the front parts of my legs along with my hips took the brunt of the fall.

We landed at the bottom, which was tiled, with Rooster and me screaming our heads off.  He was scared.  I was hurt.

I had rug burns all the way up my legs and bruises that were deep and nasty.

Fortunately, as I’d gone down, I’d managed to fold Rooster inside of the curve of my body, so he had been completely protected, praise the Lord.

I took myself to the doctor in the morning, but nothing was broken.  It took a long time for the bruises and burns to heal, though.

It was the scariest thing ever, and to this day, I cringe when I watch people fall down stairs.  Even though I know that the stunts I see on TV are staged, it freaks me out all the same.  The sensation of falling combined with the knowledge that there’s nothing you can do to stop it is something I never want to experience again.

5.  If you could own a prop from any film what would you choose?

Hmmm…I had to do a quick mental check of movies I like and what might have been in them.  At first, I was going to say that I’d love to have Luke Skywalker’s light saber…because I love the Star Wars series.  However, I thought of the movie 13 Going on 30, which stars Jennifer Garner, whom I adore.  I think I’d like to have her little dollhouse…the one that her best friend (aka the hunky guy she later marries) made for her and that makes her dreams come true.  I think it would be a cool reminder that a person has the power to change his/her life based on the decisions he/she makes.

6.  What’s the most interesting word you’ve read or learned in the past week?

Although I’m a reading teacher, I mostly explain the definitions of words I already know (and that my precious students should know but don’t).  Plus, my vocabulary is fairly advanced.  However, I did encounter a word I didn’t know a couple of days ago when I was setting up my students’ bellwork.  I’ve had them working on Rebus puzzles and came across the word downpipe.  Who knew that it was the pipe that led down from the gutters and carried water away?  I figured it was still called a “gutter.”

7.  When was the last time you locked yourself out of your house, car, or office?  Was it a big deal?

Ok.  I have to laugh at this question because prior to last Thursday, I would have said never.  However, last Thursday, my yard guys were finishing installing my sod and new flower beds (a post will eventually be written about this).  The Mr. needed to leave the side door to the garage unlocked so they could get to the sprinkler system box; however, he didn’t want to leave the door going into the house unlocked, so he took the key.

He called to ask if I had a house key and, I’m ashamed to admit, I said I didn’t.  I usually let myself in with the garage door opener.

I didn’t think it would be a big deal because I was getting my nails done after work and then head back to school to watch a few students of mine play football and volleyball.  Well, the Mr. wound up having to work late, and the dogs HAD to go potty.  I had to meet the Mr. at an office where he had an appointment to get the key.  It was a rather big deal, let me tell you, and by the time I got home, I was worn out.

The dogs, mercifully, had not peed or pooped in the house.

Suffice it to say, I now have a key in my purse.

8.  My Random Thought

Boy, am I ticked off right now.

First of all, I haven’t had much spare time to do anything besides work.  I’ve barely blogged and haven’t read blogs since last week.

So, when I got a statement of benefits yesterday from my dental insurance company, I was a bit miffed.  Apparently when I’d had my gum surgery in July, I’d been overcharged in my office copay…by $25.

Ok.  So I’d planned on calling the dentist.

Before I could do that, though, I received a bill in the mail yesterday…

From the dentist’s office…

For almost $500!!!

The bill showed where the insurance company had paid; however, the total did not reflect my copay.

Plus, my insurance bill clearly said that all of my expenses were accepted, and that I was not responsible for anything further.

Oh, and one final touch that totally peeved me?

At the bottom of the bill, in bolded words, was the following:  “This bill is way past overdue.”

Folks, this was the FIRST bill I’d received.

I am sooooo mad.

I do not have time for this.

But I will MAKE time, by golly.

The Mr. commented that he feels sorry for whoever I get a hold of.

I’m taking deep breaths and praying that it was a clerical error; however, once I get it fixed, I am going to let the office staff know that they need to change the little message on the bottom of their bills.  It was highly offensive to a person like me who pays her bills (when I actually owe something) in a timely manner.

Needless to say, I will NOT use this doctor in the future.  I do not care if I have to drive two hours out of my way.

And I WILL recoup my $25 overcharge.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , , | 7 Comments »

AuburnChick Visits the Dentist

Posted on January 25, 2010 by auburnchick

So, after Chicky’s fabo 18th birthday, I didn’t post on my blog.

Why?

Because I had a little something called a toothache.

No ordinary toothache.

The kind that makes you cry.

Right before Christmas, I lost part of a filling from one tooth.  I didn’t think I needed to do anything, because I didn’t have any pain.

Apparently things changed this weekend.

Ouch!

Why wouldn’t I call the dentist immediately, you might wonder?

Well, because I have this crazy fear of these drill-bearing doctors.

It goes back to childhood.  My mom took my sister and me to our semi-annual cleanings.  I don’t remember her actually threatening bodily harm if cavities were found, but I think she somehow got her message across, because I was always deathly afraid that the dentist would find something wrong.

My record stayed clean until I was 17, when I had two cavities!  My mom made me drive myself back to my appointment (40 minutes away) to get those suckers filled.  I was by myself and deathly afraid.

Fast forward ten+ years to a toothache that resulted in a root canal.

Oh my, but that was a very traumatizing experience.  I couldn’t eat without pain for a couple of weeks.

Added to the physical pain was the financial ouch of a $400 crown during a time when every single penny went to paying monthly bills.

I think you get my point.

For me, going to the dentist is a torture equally as bad as water boarding.

I sucked it up today, girded with a dose of Midol which, by the way, says on the box that it’s good for toothaches, and called.

The office had an opening for 3pm…perfect since I have been subbing regularly.

I called Super Sis who empathized as only a sister can and offered to pray for me.

Then I went.

And I sat.

I cried as the assistant tried to take an x-ray…another reason why I cannot stand the dentist.  My mouth is very small, and I cannot hold the x-ray films between my teeth without getting all gaggy-feeling.

I was mortified that I was losing it over x-rays.  The technician wasn’t lovey-dovey, but she did an amazing thing.  She applied topical anesthesia to my gums so that I wouldn’t feel the film.

It did the trick, and we were able to finish taking photos.

The dentist came in a bit later and declared that I needed a root canal.

Rrrrronnnnkkkkk.

Wrong answer.

I told him so, in pretty much the same words.

I asked if he could pull the tooth, and he said, “Sure, although it might be hard given the location of the tooth beside it…”

The wisdom tooth is the last tooth on the right...laying sideways beside another tooth...the one causing me pain.

After a few shots…yet ANOTHER reason why I don’t like dentists…I was ready.

Now, I have to ask a quick question.

How many of you watched the television series Alias, which starred Jennifer Garner?  It was on in the early 2000’s.

Well, in the first episode, Sydney (Jennifer) gets her teeth removed because she’s caught spying and they are trying to torture her.  The guy approaches her with dental clamps.

Let me tell you…that is the scene I thought of as the Dr. E came at me with his own stuff.

Now, if you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you know that anything I do is not done the easy way.

Such it was with this tooth extraction.

Apparently my teeth are as stubborn as my emotional state, because the tooth refused to budge.

He decided to break it apart.

Fine with me.  My mouth was numb.  I cared not one iota.

Now, one of the worst sounds ever is that of a drill.  Ugh.

But I was such a trooper, if I do say so myself.  I didn’t cry.  I was numb.  Dr. E was removing the reason why I had spent Saturday curled up into a ball crying in pain.

Even after breaking the tooth, he could not remove it.

Can you believe it?

He tried.  Boy, did he try.

He actually stood up and leaned over me…putting his muscle into the work.

Nada.

That’s when he decided this called for extreme measures.

The wisdom tooth beside it had to go.  Did I mind?

Um, no.  I had the other three extracted almost 15 years ago.  No biggie.  I was numb.  I didn’t care.  Just keep the pain medicine coming, I warned him.

Another shot went in.

I stayed semi-happy.

I’ve never felt so loved…two adults hovering over me…one with an air sucker thing and the other welding all sorts of metal objects.

And all it took was a little toothache.

So, the dentist worked and worked.

The wisdom tooth was proving to be almost as stubborn as the other one, but once he had shaved it down, there was no turning back.

I tried to relax, and I prayed.

Finally, that wisdom tooth came out.  I actually took a picture of it, cause I’m a good blogger, but because I’m a better blogger, I’m not going to post it.  It’s a little icky looking.  But it was HUGE!  Trust me.

Anyhoo, one would think that the other tooth would come out easier now that the obstruction was removed.

Not!

The doctor worked and worked.

I prayed.

And then, finally, one of the roots came out.  He held it up proudly for me to see and explained that the roots of this tooth and the wisdom tooth had gotten tangled around each other…hence the reason why he couldn’t remove one without the other.

I was excited.

One down, one to go.

Stubborn little booger.

A good 15 minutes later, the second root came out, but only after the doctor had to make an incision in my gum.  I didn’t care.  I was numb.

And for the record, yes, I was fully aware that although numb during the procedure, I’d be paying for it later.

I didn’t care.

I was numb.

The doctor sewed me up after he finished removing that second root.  The nurse stuffed my mouth with cotton gauze and sent me on my way with three prescriptions in hand.

I walked out of there paying a little over $100 (a bargain since the crown I’d had for my last root canal cost me an arm and a leg).

On the way home, I picked up Rooster, and we went to CVS to get my meds.  I was lucid enough to use a coupon I had printed out which entitled me to a $25 gift card with a new prescription.

Might as well get something out of my ordeal, eh?

Then, I took Rooster home and attended a soccer board meeting.

Now I’m home, a Loritab is working its way into my system, and I’m settling down.

I’ve gotta say that there is a huge lesson that I’m taking away from the day.

Never let fear stop you from doing what you need to do.

I’ve been reading a number of Christian blogs lately, and one theme that has run through them has been fear.  This is something I struggle with in several areas of my life.  My head tells me one thing, but I let my emotions rule.  I just can’t do this anymore.

I feel so good right now, except for the pain from two holes in my mouth where bone previously existed.

I’m praising God for a knowledgeable dentist (how many regular dentists will readily extract wisdom teeth and cancel other appointments because your’s took so long)?

I am grateful for a supportive family and friends willing to drive me home from soccer meetings because the med instructions say, “Do not drive.”

Wanna know what else I’m thankful for?

Sweet iced tea.

Tea has healing qualities that are perfect for tooth extractions.

So yeah.  I’m thankful.

And not afraid of the dentist any more.

Filed under: Christian, This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 8 Comments »

  • December 2025
    S M T W T F S
     123456
    78910111213
    14151617181920
    21222324252627
    28293031  

  • Currently Reading

  • Books I’ve Read