Remember that time I told you I'm a procrastinator? Yeah. If I could win an award for it (preferably a monetary award...) I would definitely win.
I have a certain and real phobia of all things dental. I did not have good experiences at the dentist as a kid. I had braces and I can still feel that goo dripping on the back of my tongue from when they make the molds of your mouth. I just gagged thinking about it. I hate everything about the dentist and have determined it is the largest sensory onslaught you can experience. Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, PAIN. Yeah. I have issues.
So, I've avoided the dentist for an embarrassingly long time. And I won't tell you how long because, well, my pride. There came a point when I thought about toughing it out, but when I thought about how much shame I was going to have over the state of my teeth, well, it was just one more fear to try to overcome. Any of you thinking about ditching me as a friend yet? Because, WOW.
Finally, a tooth in the back expressed its displeasure with the lack of professional attention it had been receiving. The tooth expressed itself by causing me excruciating pain. Keep in mind I birthed two babies sans pain medicine. I wanted to just cut my entire head off. Perhaps get a new one. It hurt. And when I was at Walgreens at 4 a.m. looking for something, anything, to help, I knew it was time to wave the white flag.
The next morning I called a local dentist and they were fabulous and accommodating and nice. When the kind doc took a look he let me know it was going to take some major doing to take care of all the pain, but he figured out a way to work me in that day. I mean, for a dentist he was such a nice fellow. He also gave me some tips about how to cope. I decided against IV sedation, much to my sadness, both due to cost and complication of driving and the kids and blah, blah, blah. I decided I could do anything for around 30 minutes to an hour. He suggested I bring my ipod. It was a very fabulous suggestion.
Let's just say it was intense. I won't be telling you the exact nature of my procedure, because, well, my pride. But, suffice it to say there were times when I turned the volume on my music WAY up. And tried to keep down the nagging need to swallow. The spittle vacuum just doesn't do it for me. Luckily, they gave me some nice pain meds for my recovery and recommended I eat ice-cream. Can do, Dr. Dentist, can do. I go back this week for another check and a cleaning. I'm already working on my playlist...
Just one more place in my life that it's time to take some dang action. I'm grabbing fear by the throat and throttling him. Too much time with him has made me cranky!
1 comment:
I there with ya...I actually recently had some sedation done for some filling replacements etc...BEST thing ever. Know too that you can also request to have gas, even at a cleaning. My dentist, when I went to get my crowns permanently seated, told me that I made the morning meeting, they were going to "Gas the Begeebers" out of me. It was UH-MAZING! I highly recommend it!
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