The Dentist.

[lithera]

Yes. Yesterday I went to the dentist. I seem to have picked a nice one. Dr. Chen is very nice and her assistants are as well.

It helped that they were pleasant when they gave me the news of doom. I have to go in next Friday and get my back two upper molars drilled to see if I need root canals there. There are cavities but they don't know how extensive. The conversation went a little like this:
Me: How urgent is all of this?
Dr. Chen: Can you come in Friday?

So, I'm going to go get that fixed. If I don't need root canals, this becomes much cheaper. If I do, I have no idea how I'll afford all of this. It's crazy, crazy stuff.

Also I found out that my teeth are just slowly turning to mush. It's great. I have soft spots that should show up in my teeth for another 20 to 30 years or so. The dentist isn't sure why that is. I can help stop and reverse that by not drinking sugary things and using Act and brushing 2 - 4 times a day. So, no more soda for me. No more fruit juice for me. No more candy for me. This will help me in other ways, so, that's good, but I'm not thrilled about the withdrawl this will create.

Yeesh. And this doesn't include what I knew was coming, the "Your wisdom teeth must come out right now!" speech.

So. Let me be a warning. Go to the dentist! Go!

Comments

[foxfyre.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I know it doesn't really help, but there are more and more sugar-free sweets on the market every day. You might want to ask the dentist if Splenda is safe for your teeth, because if it is you won't miss sweets at all--it tastes exactly the same as normal sugar, but doesn't metabolize the same way. Good stuff for dieters and diabetics alike. :)

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I like Splenda. I just hate that I can't find it in anything but packets anymore.

[foxfyre.livejournal.com]

I'll ask my mom where she gets it. She buys it in big bags for baking (my stepdad's seriously diabetic). ^_^

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[pullthestars.livejournal.com]

I can find it at Larry's in the non-packet version. the House of Hair also seemed to be getting in large boxes, so maybe check online?

hmm. looks like you can get three boxes of 2lb equivalent for $10.95 through the Splenda website: https://www.commerce.splenda.com/main.asp

I personally don't mind this AT ALL, learning to cook with the stuff. I need to stop eating the regular stuff anyways!

[foxfyre.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's much different, from what mom said. She made the most wonderful blueberry pie and a cheesecake with the stuff--it was great! :D

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Sweet. I'll get some into the house soon.

You think this qualifies as new?

[pullthestars.livejournal.com]

new?

[lithera.livejournal.com]

For Cody.

[pullthestars.livejournal.com]

here's the thing. We just won't *tell* him :)

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Heh.

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

My dentist told me in 1988 I needed to get my wisdoms out, because all four are unerupted and impacted.

Have I ever done it?

I'll let you guess the answer on that.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Heh. I feel mine move from time to time but they don't hurt. So, for now that is the least of my concerns by far.

[fireballof3.livejournal.com]

Dentist offices have very generous payment plans usually.

Commonly on the "what can you afford per month" level.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Yeah but that doesn't mean it isn't going to suck.

[fireballof3.livejournal.com]

You'll be fine.

I had $200 left over from my Wisdom teeth bill (the part not covered by insurance), and when I called about a payment plan they were like "can you send $25 per month?"

I laughed. I was just looking to do $100 then and $100 in about a month.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

$4000 before the wisdom teeth. I know I can pay it off but that's just another bill in the thousands I didn't need.

[fireballof3.livejournal.com]

Um, dental insurance? Don't you have some?

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It covers $1000 of it.

[fireballof3.livejournal.com]

SUCK.

Man.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

I know.

[alascus.livejournal.com]

Ah, the glories of having your wisdom teeth removed. Watch out for dry sockets. The son of one of my mother's associates had his removed and had dry sockets and... nasty... So long as the teeth aren't bonded to the nerves yet, you shouldn't lose feeling in your bottom lip.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

We'll see. The wisdom teeth really are the least urgent of all of the things that I need done.

[warpdragon.livejournal.com]

Your dental insurance is almost as bad as mine!

Good thing the Republicans killed health care reform 10 years ago, or we'd really be in trouble now...

[gehn.livejournal.com]

$4k?? Yikes! Now I have to go look over my dental insurance.. I need my wisdoms out, and i think i have a cavity too. I haven't gone to the dentist since i moved to boston, because i never bothered to find a new one, and it kept getting put off.

I was actually about to make an appoitment today, but now i'm scared to... heh

[lithera.livejournal.com]

No, no, no! Go make it now! Seriously. The longer you wait the worse it could be!

My wisdom teeth are going to wait. The real pice death is from the two potential root canals. If they don't have to be root canals the expense is a lot less.

[gehn.livejournal.com]

I know.. and I should. I'm tryin.. just gotta get the insurance thing worked out.

I'm just scared after all the horror stories i've heard about getting wisdoms out.. Everyone's said things like, "No, you'll be fine! It's no big deal. Of course, when *I* had mine out, the bloody sockets made my lower jaw fall off, and the gruesome sight both killed my mother and called Cthulhu himself from the watery depths to destroy all happiness on earth. ... but you should be fine."

Ok, so that's a bit of hyperbole, but it's still the way everyone talks about it...

[lithera.livejournal.com]

*snugs* I'm sure things will be fine. I haven't had mine out and they are sort of last on my list of things to worry about, though. I have much more urgent things.

[trilliumgrl.livejournal.com]

I had all four of mine out under general anesthesia a couple of years ago and it was fine. The only even semi-bad thing was a poor reaction to Percocet, which I had never been on. I had them out on Friday and was back at my job answering phones on Monday morning only slightly the worse for wear.

There - now you know someone without a horror story :)