Well, that went much more like I was used to in terms of experience before Annie showed up to make dental visits living hell.
It has been five years since my last regular dental exam and cleaning. In spite of needing some pretty intensive maintenance on my teeth for staining, tartar and plaque, my gums were in much better shape than they had expected on Monday and I don’t need to come in for any additional “special” treatments for my gums. I have one surface cavity, which I suspected and is scheduled for repair, and a bit of a groove on one outward facing tooth that they are going to preemptively fill for cosmetic and protection reasons. Other than that? I’m golden.
My pain appears to have been due to clenching and gum inflammation.
Was it torture this time for my regular checkup?
Anything but! As I said, this was a dream even with all the heavy work being done compared to the last 6-8 sessions (3-4 years of exams) I had years ago. No or minimal blood (my bib was not spattered, which I count as blood-free). They even offered to use topical numbing agents on my gums, which I declined. And I didn’t need.
The hygienist was pleasant and careful to keep checking in with me. She didn’t seem like she was insulted by the presence of my teeth (Annie always wore a disgusted look while she was chiseling away at teeth and carving up my gums). She didn’t scrape away without checking on me. She didn’t rest her sonic cleaning tool/scraper on my nerve until I yelped.
I actually am looking forward to going back and investing in some improved home tools (a highly-recommended electric brush and natural floss) over the stuff I dread using that is in the cabinet. I’m probably going to switch to a more-natural toothpaste to get away from some of the artificial ingredients of the usual paste and the floss I picked up is PFAS-free (forever chems are in most commercial floss out there and I don’t think they are necessary).
Which reminds me, I forgot to brush and floss before I started working. I might need to take a break…
5 responses to “Torture update”
Good news all went well.
Agreed!
Glad to hear things have improved for you, especially another hygienist who doesnt have a grudge against your mouth. And I hate those sonic scalers too, the cold always gets to my nerves. I have to get them to do it manually. But glad you’re getting fixed up, 🙂
The polishing on my upper fronts always tickles like hell. I swear, I giggled like a madman.
Sounds like fun then, and how often does that happen at the dentist? Glad you’re getting your gnashers back in good nick, and with minimal discomfort. 😎