Open Wide, Aunt LoLo

Ok, I've got to get this out of my system. This comic has been floating through my head for the past week.

Now. Where was I? Oh yes. Do you remember, a few weeks ago, when I had to take my sweet little BBJ to the dentist and hold her down while they drilled and filled her cavities? Do you remember how I warned you to help your kids floss and brush so you could avoid the whole traumatic experience?

I wish somebody had given me that advice about a year ago. (Oh wait...they did. My dentist has been telling me to floss since I was 8. Oops.)

Last week, it was my turn. They found two cavities during my last dental check up, and made a quick appointment for me to get them filled. The appointment was later pushed BACK about two weeks, due to an incapacitated dentist. (My dentist was riding a motorcycle, with his wife behind him, fully clad in protective gear, when a driver turned in front of him. He veered away, lost control of the bike, and crashed. He broke his leg bone in two places. New Public Service Announcement: Please, please PLEASE wear your protective gear when you go out on your bikes!!!! He could have broken so many more things had he not been fully clad. Thank you.)

As happy as I was for him that he was back up and about (albeit it with the help of a walker and a rolling office chair), I was not looking forward to my appointment. I cuddled up to Lo Gung that morning and asked, "Is it going to hurt? Am I going to get shots?" He replied an emphatic NO to every fear.

That was when I remembered he has never HAD a cavity and didn't know what he was talking about.

Besides...I found out later that day - HE. WAS. WRONG.

(Are there any dentists out there? Anybody married to a dentist? I'd love to know the current, modern practices for filling teeth. Thank you.)

First I was swabbed with nasty green goo, to numb me. (Everything, by the way, is times two - I had two cavities, one on the top left and one on the bottom left.) After about ten minutes waiting for the goo to numb me, they took a long hair-thin needle and poked it into my gum. He then grabbed my cheek and flapped it, while continuing to push the needle in. (Anybody know what the flapping was for?!)

After that had had a chance to take effect, it was time for the fun part. (Remember the comic from above? I always thought it was a farce...a joke...an exaggeration. *sniffle*) First came the jamming. A sucking tube was positioned under my tongue, then came the two tiny green wedges that were wedged between my teeth. (The cavities were on the sides of my teeth...yes, they would have been prevented with flossing. Hindsight is 20/20!) Behind the wedges, he jammed in a small sheet of metal. Finally, a few rolls of cotton around my gums to keep everything dry.

Then came the shiny stuff. A few blasts of air to dry everything off. Then the drill, to clean everything out. A syringe full of tooth filler, and a little blue light to harden it up. Repeat a few times.

NOW...yank out the wedges, cotton rolls, metal sheet. Reposition the Sucker. Repeat everything on the upper tooth.

The final act was to try to floss my teeth to make sure that the floss would still fit between the teeth.

It didn't fit.

I was afraid he was going to pull out the drill again and sand things down.

Nope! He just pulled harder on the floss while mumbling to himself. It finally did pop through...and I think it took an offending chip of the filling with it. Good riddance, I say!

Then they sent me on my way. I grabbed a tissue on my way out the door, because I couldn't feel the left side of my face and was afraid I'd drool all over myself on the way home.

Oh, and Public Service Announcement #2 - Don't bother with lip gloss when you're going to see a dentist. He'll just rub/scrub/scratch it all off anyhow!

I came home and made Lo Gung take pictures. (I'm always thinking of you guys!)

Ooh, wanna know a fun game? Try to kiss someone who's just had a filling put in. Just trust me. If you wanna have a REAL fun time, get them laughing first.

Here I am a few hours later. Smile's back!

Kisser still isn't kissing, though.


PS - If you read this far, then you get to hear the great (vaguely related) news: Siu Jeun got his first tooth yesterday!