I became a dentist and I drilled...

Just got back from the dentist. It's my first time with Dr. Cortez cause my regular dentist is in jail for tax evasion (honestly). My old dentist's practive is still running but with the new dentist. Dr. Cortez is an attrative Hispanic man in his 40's, which is quite a switch from my regular dentist. (attractiveness-wise I mean).



At any rate, he looked at my filling I was having problems with, then sat and looked over my file. he mentioned something about them previously recommending a crown, did I know anything about that? I told him no. he said with my insurance, it should cost me out of pocket about $155 which i outstanding, cause crowns cost like $800. Most insurances only cover 50%, but not mine. (So despite all the bitching I do about work, can't really complain about thier dental coverage, apparently).

I figured i could handle $155 so I said sure, let's do it. I asked what it entailed. he said "We prep the tooth, take an imprint, send it to the lab to get the permanent crown made. Then we take an imprint and make you a temporary crown until we get the other one back." I said okay.

As I thought about it, the "prep the tooth" part was a bit worrisome. I had heard that they have to do a root canal before doing a crown, and I didn't like that idea. So I asked again, "When you say prep the tooth, what does that mean? I've not had a crown before so I don't know."

His answer: "We prep the tooth so we can take the imprint and get it ready for the temporary crown today." Hmmm....yeah, didn't really answer my question. But then I thought, well I've committed to the crown, I don't want to go back on that now, and I'll just see what happens when they do this. I don't want to talk myself out of it.

So then he says, "Okay, I'll use the novocaine" and comes to me with a q-tip and starts rubbing it on my gums. I'm thinking to myself, "Oh, no no no no...no way is this quack drilling into my mouth after only RUBBING novocaine on! i need SHOTS! And many of them!" So I said, "So, um, you don't do the shots?"

"Oh no, I'll use the needle, I just want to numb the gums first. it makes a bit easier for people if the gums are numb first." I heaved a sigh of relief. Then came the shots. They took an impression. Then the drilling started.

Thank God the novocaine had kicked it. I don't know how long he drilled but it seem like 15 minutes (although it was proably less than 5). And then they took two more impressions. I felt up there with my tongue and it felt like the center part of my tooth was all like square and flat and either side of it was nothing. Weird. Oh, and I can't be certain, but might have pulled some of the root out, cuase it....well it felt like he was doing that at one point. I didn't ask becasue I really didn't want to know.

I asked if they were done drilling and they said yes, and agian I heaved a sigh of relief. No I didn't fell anything, but I could HEAR it and SMELL it, and it bothers the FUCK out of me. You think with all the technology we've got now there'd be a way to make a dentist drill less....like fingernails down a chalkboard, less disturbing, ya know. I clutched the arms of the chair so hard I think i left permanent indentations on them.

So anyway, he put the temporary crown on, we made an appointment for 3 weeks and they sent me on my way. No, about an hour after the shot, the novocaine is stil in effect, so it doesn't hurt...yet. When that wears off, man I hope there's no pain. I am SUCH a wuss baby when it comes to tooth pain....

But at least I survived.

POLT

You're a rabble-rouser, you know that? You rouse rabble. - CJ Cregg, The West Wing