Sunday, October 30, 2011

New Dentist and Dental Woes

My dentist, or rather former dentist, JL, was a really cool guy, and his office was conveniently located in Quechee. He actually replaced my even older dentist who retired, so the transition was relatively seamless. Then Irene hit, and his office was literally washed away. He relocated to Randolph, which is way too far away.

I decided to find a new dentist, especially in light of the fact that I currently have dental woes. I had a filling put in a molar and at some point the thing fell out. I remember when it happened, I was eating tortilla chips and bit down on something hard as a rock. I assumed it was a piece of corn or something, so thought nothing of it until I felt the tooth and noticed a jagged edge and gap. I didn’t realize so much of the tooth had been replaced.

I figured it was not a big deal because it didn’t hurt, and I could simply find a new dentist and have it fixed. Then, my entire molar cracked. It was quite a shock, but even more surprising is the fact that it doesn’t hurt. It’s a little bothersome to chew on that side, however, so I need to get it fixed.

This means the time to find a new dentist is now. I chose R’s dentist, but in order to see me, they need a copy of my complete file. I called my old dentist and they said I needed to fill out a form and then they’d release the info. They would send the form, I should mail it back, and so on and so forth. The problem was that I had a cracked tooth that needed attending. I made an appointment but the soonest I could get in was next week, and even then, they needed that darn file. Otherwise, the new dentist would have to take a complete set of X-rays, which insurance wouldn’t cover.

Wow, life sure is complicated. I had to make a decision, and it went like this. The chances that I’d get the file before my appointment were practically zero, so I decided to drive up to Randolph and pick them up in person. It was about an hour drive one way, and the kids were bored to tears, but it worked out fine, and now I’m all set. Personally, I want to yank the tooth out myself, but that could be disastrous, and I’m not big on disasters.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Matthew Maaskant for the pic.

2 comments:

MarshllMNDentist said...

To some people, the fear of going to the dentist may be more painful than what the dental practitioner will actually do to cause pain. If you are one of the many with a fear of getting dental work done, then you need to find a dentist that offers something that will take away your fear of going. Having your teeth cared for is important for the health of your mouth but there are also connections with other parts of the body as well, so it is essential to not take them for granted. Dentists offer types of dentistry that may appeal to those with a fear of going. As you begin your search for the right dental practitioner, you should do some research into these options to see if anyone in your area offers them.

Dentist Marshall MN

phredude said...

Dear Dentist Marshall,

Thanks for your helpful advice. I agree that dental care goes beyond just a nice smile, and more research seems to indicate that a whole slew of health issues are linked to your teeth. Hope all is well and have a nice day.