A Day in the Life of a Blogger

The tray of torture implements my
hygienist Betsy used. Scraaape

I'm late in getting something up on the blog today, but I have an excuse. It's been a very busy day. First, I had a dental appointment, something I have to endure every three months due to periodontal disease. Fun! The visit was mostly positive. I've seen a very good improvement in the last six months, though I believe my progress dropped just a tiny bit from three months ago.  So, I'm still on a prescription, and still have to be tortured four times per year.

The looming lamp monster.
You can see him, can't you?

Each time my butt hits that dentist chair, I marvel at how it feels like I was just there. No matter which little exam room they put me in, it feels the same. And I see the strange little lamp monster above me.  I took a picture of him this time, so that I could prove he exists. You don't see him? Those little Phillips-screw eyes, that little hinge-mouth below?  He hovers over me, taunting me.

After the scraping and interminable gum measuring was over, I had to line up a prescription. Then I had to drive over to the auto dealership to pick up a touch-up paint pen for my car (just a couple of tiny dings to take care of).  After that, back across town to the library to get some homework for my new Mac, and drop off last week's supply.  And I'm back here using the Mac for this update. Whew! It's only 1:30, and I'm kinda pooped. It's a damned good thing I don't have the kinds of chores my ancestors had. I'd have been such a whiny bitch about it!

More bloggy goodness to come this afternoon and/or evening. I hope everyone's having a terrific start to their holiday weekend. Cheers, everybody!

Blogger Visits Periodontist Again

In 2006, I had a series of periodontal surgeries to correct a gum problem. This was after a series of "deep root planings" by my dentist didn't clear up the pockets. Now, 3-1/2 years later, the problem has returned, but on a smaller scale. I just got home from my most recent surgery, this time on the bottom right of my mouth around three or four teeth. There are no sutures this time, since the doctor used a laser (mmm, I love the smell of my own burning flesh in the afternoon!).

The good news? Apparently there will be reduced bleeding and accelerated healing time with laser surgery. I'll let you know when the anesthesia wears off, and I'm relying only on Tylenol and Loritabs for the seared flesh in my mouth. The bad news? The procedure revealed--voila!--my first cavity in 25 years. So, after my follow-up procedure on this surgery, I must schedule a tooth drilling a week later. Whoopeee!!! Well, at least I've got my Loritab!

More Dental Woes. With Lasers!

I start the week with the bane of my existence looming large on the calendar. On Friday, I have my latest date with dentistry. Or periodontics to be more specific. I've got great teeth apparently (even if they're a bit gappy), but I've got rotten gums. I floss, I use a SoniCare toothbrush, I rinse. But genetically, I'm screwed. I've got periodontal disease, which leads to pockets, which leads to bone loss, which can lead to tooth loss. Perfectly viable teeth set in a set of crappy gums.

I really, really hate going through even minor dental procedures. I get mildly queasy for a cleaning. So imagine how surgery makes me feel. I've already gone through surgery on all of my gums, so I was a little surprised there was enough material there to hack me up again. Fortunately, it is only 1-3 teeth this time, rather than my whole mouth. Also, with my most recent big dental problem, the procedure was so easy, effortless and painless, I have a little less anxiety about it this time.

But that was just a wisdom tooth extraction. This involves cutting. Burning to be more accurate, since they are using a laser this time. Star Trek-style surgery in my mouth! Whoopee! I am relieved that it won't involve the upper teeth, since that (as I learned last time) involves sutures that extend all the way to the roof of the mouth. Those dangly threads were extremely annoying. What I do have to be worried about is the shots. Lower jaw shots suck. Mmmmphff. My mouth is all clenched just thinking about it.

I just hope this procedure goes as well as last time, and I'm writing an "after" post that tells how easy it all was. But as the days tick by, and Friday approaches, I know I'm going to get that sinking feeling. We'll see how it affects my willingness to blog.

Back From the Dentist, One Tooth Fewer

Well, I'm down to 27 teeth. That's certainly better than the "worst case scenarios" that were rattling around in my head. When I was a teenager, I had two bicuspids removed, to make room for my eye teeth. Then about six years ago, I had my right wisdom teeth out (one was extruded, one was impacted). Today, it was the upper left wisdom that had to go.

It turns out that what I'd been supposing was true. My wisdom tooth was trying to extract itself. My mouth was never quite big enough for it, and it was crowded to the outer reaches of bone. It hung in there for a heck of a long time, but it just gave up. So, since it was trying to let go, and by closing my mouth I would push it back in, an abscess formed, which is what was torturing me.

I'm relieved to say that my dentist, Dr. David Mahon at Gentle Dental was very kind, and patient with my phobia, and he managed to live up to the name of the practice. The five or six shots I got were virtually painless, and the extraction itself? Except for a little pressure, no big deal at all. Really, there wasn't much to it. I'm back at home, and the bleeding has stopped. I feel some minor discomfort, but nothing too bad--certainly better than before. I've got some soft food lined up for today, and I am practiced at being very careful after having had previous extractions (though I was unconscious before) and periodontal surgery.

Now, mind you, I'm on hydrocodone at the moment, so things could change! But I have to tell you, dental-phobia is all about anticipation. During and after, it really isn't that bad. Periodontal-phobia? Whole different story. It sucks on every level. But thankfully, Dr. Mahon says I'm looking good gum-wise. Woohoo!

Blogger Down! Blogger Down! Crippled by Toothache!

My mind is not on blogging tonight, but on my current dental woes. I related last week that I was worried about one of my wisdom teeth. But after a cleaning on Friday that seemed to turn up nothing--though, to be honest I didn't press the issue--it started to hurt. A lot. And it's been a weird pain too, going from intense to annoying to nothing and back in odd cycles. Mornings have been the worst. Tuesday, things seemed to be getting better, and then Wednesday, full-on, skull-shattering pain.

Today hasn't been a picnic either, but I have to say, the sensation has been nearly entirely different each day. And oddly, though I'm pretty sure it's just one tooth that is the problem, the pain can extend across my top left molars, and occasionally the bottom ones too. I have a feeling that the pain from the one tooth is sort of sending out pain-waves that are confusing the rest of my mouth. Because the only pain I feel by actual stimulation is the one tooth.

It's kind of like when you have something lodged between your teeth, but can't find it with a toothpick. Confused mouth nerves. I don't know. I don't want to know. But I have a dental appointment in the morning, where I'm sure that the very best news I'll get is a single extraction. I won't be surprised to find that they want to take the bottom wisdom tooth too, which will make me unhappy. And if there's anything in addition to that? Well, I'll just be stone-cold terrified.

I hate dental procedures, even cleanings. Several years ago, I had lapsed in going to the dentist for a very long time. When I finally got back, I endured a very long cleaning, and surprisingly no cavities. The dentist told me that I had great teeth--and what a shame it was that they were all going to fall out. He was exaggerating, but it turns out I have periodontal disease, and bone loss.

So, I dutifully showed up for cleanings every three months for a year or so. And since I wasn't getting enough progress, I was sent to a periodontist. That evil man cut away and restitched my gums over three procedures. I went to see him a couple more times, but when it was time to transition back to the regular dentist, there was a scheduling snafu, followed by another lapse. As stupid as it was, procrastinating was easier than going back.

But that was a year ago. Since then, I've seen the dentist and the hygienist four or five times, most recently on Friday. So, you'd think that whatever is wrong, they'd have seen it coming. Not that any of that matters. My tooth hurts, and it must be addressed. I just wish I had some anxiety medication or something!

I'm sure--unless I'm too overloaded, or the news is too horrifying--I'll be back tomorrow afternoon with an update. For now, I can't promise any new posts unless I stumble upon something fun or interesting.

UPDATE: If you want to see how it all turned out, go here.

Dental Scare: I am Terrified

Image from Enexus.com

It is amazing that I'm able to fulfill a dental appointment. I absolutely abhor, hate, despise and deplore any dental engagement. I hate everything about it. As a kid, I dutifully--though against my will--endured every semi-annual appointment with my dentist. And when I segued into adulthood, I even had to endure two tooth extractions--later lamented by my dentist as "unnecessary."

I dutifully fulfilled my obligations to the biannual examinations. And lucky for me, after the age of nineteen, I never had to have another filling. But when I moved to Las Vegas at the age of 28, I sadly lapsed into a period of "no dental care." It was a combination of procrastination and the abject hatred of dentists.

After I met up with The Other Half, and once again obtained dental insurance, I reluctantly went back to the dentist. And I was greeted with this statement: "You've got great teeth. Too bad they're all going to fall out." Turns out, I've got periodontal disease. Gums. Not teeth, gums. I had bone loss, and gum disease. Great. So, I went through a deep gum-probing root-planing procedure. And after several appointments, it was decided that my SonicCare toothbrush wasn't enough, and that I'd require oral surgery.

So, I did it. Though I wanted to bolt from the chair every time, I submitted to a gum surgery that lasted three different procedures. They cut off tissue, and stitched threads through the roof of my mouth. It was awful. And then I went to several follow-up procedures. But when it was time to go back to my regular dentist, I got rescheduled twice, and then just. . .stopped.

For two years, I procrastinated, and ignored the inner voice that says "you've got to go back." But eventually, I got back on the wagon. And since then, I've had to go back every three months to get my mouth back into shape. Yesterday, I had to return for my fourth visit since my two-year hiatus. And I was scared. Mostly because I'd been feeling some profound discomfort in one of my two remaining wisdom teeth.

Turns out, it was nothing. I had a routine (though hour-long) cleaning. My hygienist found no major issues, and didn't even go through the interminable 1-2-7-4-3-5 gum measurement thingy. But I'm not out of the woods. I still have to go back in three months. And my insurance might not cover it. And I still wonder if I got a fast one over on Betsy, who didn't ask if I'd had any trouble or pain (which I did not volunteer). Meanwhile, I'll be flossing, brushing and rinsing like there is no tomorrow.