The Dentist

I wanted to load a little javascript that would have the sound "Duh-duh-duuuuuhhhhh" followed by a scream when this post loaded.

I absolutely, completely, and passionately HATE going to the dentist. It isn't just that they're going to tell me I have crappy teeth, it isn't that they are going to charge me exhorbitant amounts of money to "fix" my "problem(s)", or that they will undoubtedly hurt me in the process, but there is a visceral and emotional component that I cannot describe.

I have tried, especially during this pregnancy, to be extra careful with my teeth. I never flossed before, but now do so nightly. Some nights I'll even rinse with mouthwash in addition to brushing and flossing.

Of course, it didn't help. Yes, pregnancy is super tough on teeth. It isn't just anecdotal (although I can name a few friends who have had problems during pregnancy, and I have mothers of friends and friends of friends who have also had problems). There is actual data from scientific studies (FINALLY!) supporting the fact that pregnancy rots your teeth. Ok, maybe not literally, but it feels like it.

Speaking of FEEL- that's all I've done with my mouth this week. Nope, not chew, not taste, not eat, but feel massive amounts of intense pain that have radiated into my head and hard palate. Pain so intense an unending I haven't eaten, and I've slept no longer that the 3-4 hours between doses of Vicodin. Yep, I'm on the hard drugs because I can't take the over-the-counter ibuprofen that is normally indicated with a toothache since I'm pregnant. Of course, just for spite and because of my passionate loathing of dentists, I didn't hurt this intensly until after I saw the dentist for some very uncomfortable pain on Monday afternoon. It was about 3am on Tuesday that I realized I was in super trouble- after I saw the dentist and she "tapped" on my tooth disrupting any and all chaos that was partially contained. It got so bad I had to call my OB and BEG for something to relieve pain.

As I waited for a root canal. Yup, that's what my dentist prescribed: a referral to an endodontist, who couldn't see me for another couple of days, to have a root canal on the tooth that was bothering me, to be followed shortly thereafter by a crown. I could see the dollar signs glowing in her pretty brown eyes, and I felt the tears coming to mine.

I knew a crown was inevitable. But, did it have to happen while I was pregnant? Why couldn't I have gone through this in-between pregnancies? Then I could've taken ibuprofen and been MUCH more comfortable (Sorry, even Vicodin doesn't "help" the problem, it truly only masks it for short periods of time).

Well, at the endodontist, I freaked him out by having a crying fit as he injected the last of the lidocaine+epinephrine in my mouth to numb me up. I always get a little antsy (the epinephrine, although miniscule, somehow hits me like a ton of bricks and my heart races and freaks out; I think the combination of lack of sleep, being someplace I don't like, and especially being pregnant did an extra number on me). I was crying so hard I was gasping in sobs. The endodontist thought I was hyperventillating (which I was NOT). I'm sure he thought, "Oh boy! This one is going to be tough!"

The tooth was, but I wasn't. I refused the middle-of-proceedure dose of anethestic. Which turned out to be good since they didn't take their standard x-ray (cuz of the baby) and instead they used my good ol' nerves to tell them when they got the filling in the right place. OUCH. Still, not as bad as other things (like bawling and gasping for breaths!) It took the endodontist a lot longer as I had a crooked stubborn canal that didn't want to be canulated. Still, the final x-ray looked really good, and now I just have to have the crown made and put on.

We won't go into the cost, except to say, I'm grateful we got dental insurance (I knew this day was inevitable, like I said before). And I'm even more grateful that Travis and I have saved and prepared for "rainy days" (to me this was of hurricane proportions on the emotion side) so we don't have to worry about paying for something that is to improve my health and provide relief of severe pain.

Still, I wish I could've bought plane tickets to visit friends in Oregon or Texas, instead of sinking it into the roots of my teeth.

*sigh*

At least the pain is suppose to get better. It will get better right?

I doubt my feelings toward dentists/endodontists will ever improve, though.