After the death of my mother, I entered menopause and gained fifteen pounds. To me, it seemed to come in one fell swoop, although I suspect that truly wasn't the case. Since then I have been trying to get rid of the excess weight in various half-assed ways, none of them worthwhile. One such method was to keep my mouth occupied by working on a jawbreaker. My friend got me a little bag of the multi-colored sugar balls, and I used them as a supplement to food. When I felt a craving to have something in my mouth I popped in a jawbreaker. The only problem with that is I'm not a candy sucker, I'm a biter. See where I'm going with this?
In January the left side of my mouth started hurting. I blamed it on the electric toothbrush I had gotten in my stocking. I stopped using it and returned to my manual brush. The pain continued. I decided that it was because I was biting too hard on the mouth guard I have to wear to bed due to "grinding" in my sleep. Eventually, the pain got to a point that I couldn't even chew on that side of the mouth and flossing struck a nerve, so to speak. I called the dentist.
Longtime readers might recall my dentist sagas. I'm not a fan of sitting in that reclining chair, and I abhor getting my teeth cleaned. I spent way too many years in the orthodontist's chair and every time I'm reclined my mouth automatically opens. I've had decent dentists, and I've had some that weren't so decent. While I now have a sweetheart of a dentist, that hasn't changed my lack of excitement in visiting him every six months. I put it off until I couldn't anymore, and I called it in.
Visit number one consisted of various x-rays, the filing down of my tooth because he suspected that it was bite related, and a $260 bill. I went home and nothing changed. I put it off until my March cleaning appointment. That visit resulted in the diagnosis of an inner crack in the cusp of the tooth that would require a crown. Visit number three was a three hour one where I received my temporary crown and a $1500 bill. As I sat listening to the instructions from the dental assistant on what and what not to do with my temporary crown, the anesthesia wore off and I noticed NO difference in the tooth. I mentioned this and was told to give it a few days to let the roots and inflammation die down. I gave it a week and a half and called again. My dentist got on the phone and we talked for twenty minutes. He admitted he was stumped. Visit number four is scheduled for tomorrow.
I think I need a root canal. I had one several years ago on tooth number 14 which happens to be in front of the new aching tooth, number 15.
Dentist: "You have the dental lingo down."
Me: "I feel I'm ready to help you out anytime you need me."
Dentist: "I'm going to be gone for a couple of days and could use your help."
He wants to air on the conservative side. I refrained from making a snide comment regarding those currently running for president and agreed to let him have another shot. But I believe that I'll end up in an endodontist's chair, and with a bill of $3000. I always knew trying to lose weight wasn't worth it. By golly, this is proof!
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