New Dentist

As I think I mentioned, my former dentist got hit hard by Irene and subsequently relocated to Randolph, so I had to find a new one. I decided to go to R’s dentist, and it was quite an experience. He’s a super nice guy, and seems up to date on the latest technology, but sometimes I get a sense that dentists are too fixated on teeth and lose sight of the big picture. I guess it makes perfect sense, they’re dentists, after all, but it seems like using potentially toxic chemicals and polymers to prevent tooth decay might not be the best thing for our bodies, and our children’s bodies, in the long run. I always think about sealants made with BPA and even fluoride. Sure, they prevent cavities, but even fluoride is a poison.

Anyway, I was due for a full checkup and cleaning. Plus, I have this isssue with my cracked tooth, which is a complete drag. First off, I was impressed with the size of the operation. I thought I was the first patient, but there were at least a dozen people in that waiting room, and what was really impressive was they took them all at once. Talk about efficiency.

Since I was a new patient, they needed all sorts of baseline records, which I had brought with me, only to discover that neither of my dentists had ever taken a full set of baseline X-rays. After that, I met with the hygienist who did a thorough cleaning which was akin to sticking needles in my gums. It really hurt, and I could tell there was a lot of blood. She really did the Marathon Man thing on me, showing me no mercy. I guess that’s what I get for not flossing regularly.

My cracked tooth is going to be a problem. Because it’s in such bad shape, they are talking dental implants, which is a complete bummer. I want to talk about maybe trying to salvage the old tooth, because you can’t beat nature’s architecture. Plus, it’s already in place. They are also going to take a look at my sleep issues, which I’ll get into at a later date.

For now, I’m not too excited about returning to the dentist, which will occur next week.

Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Marcelo Terraza for the pic.