Dentist

I really hate going to the dentist. Recently, I've had to make a few visits for a filling. I have horrible problems with my teeth due to the amount of steroids I've taken throughout my life over all the Asthma stuff. It also probably isn't healthy for them that every night I'm in the process of grinding them down to little stubs. I have no idea why. I can't stand the thought of people grinding their teeth. There's no way I could ever grind my teeth while conscious. It seems like such an odd activity for your subconscious to engage in. 

Anyway. I went in about a month ago and had a tooth filled. I've had a few fillings in my day, so I wasn't a stranger to the process. So, four hours later when the left side of my face regained its feeling and my tooth was hurting I was worried. I toughed it out for 2 days thinking that it would get better. Then, I finally broke down and called them. 

When I went back in the dentist thought it was hurting because he hadn't filed it down far enough and so it was hitting my top teeth too hard and thus bruising the root and gum. 

So, what did he do? He saws it down some more... without numbing it! It was a ridiculous ordeal! My tooth had already been in severe pain for 2 days and then he was trying to saw on it while it wasn't numb. I probably looked like someone having a seizure with all the spasms and jerking. It was impossible to be still. It was painful. I'm certain the annoyance I built for the doc at that time wasn't a good thing. He was able to finish and told me to give it a few weeks to heal. 

I did. I gave it more than that. However, it still hurt. It wasn't a consistent throbbing anymore, but it was sore enough that I wasn't chewing on that side.

This morning, I went in again. He took an x-ray this time. He said that the filling it sitting really close to the nerve, possibly on it. It's hard to tell with just the x-ray view though. He also said that there could be a tiny gap there too, if he got that close to the nerve and the filling didn't get down far enough that would also cause the discomfort. 

This all sounded promising, but then he turns to me and has me chew and grind around on the little sandpaper-like thing and decides to just file it down some more. He thought it was still hitting the top tooth too hard and so it was still getting bruised. 

I'm no doctor, I don't pretend to be. But, really?! I'd much rather endure the horrible shot and drilling and a half day of face numbness followed by a half day of face soreness than to have him file that down again without numbing it when it's been hurting for month! And especially if it means me just having to come back in a few weeks anyway. Unfortunately, I didn't get a say so. 

I had to endure the horrid sawing. Ohhh, it hurt so bad. The nurse picked up on my frustration this time, I don't think she agreed with his assessment either. She kept making comments like, "She's gonna slap you." or "I bet she's gonna kill you after this." 

UGH.

By the way, going to the dentist is one of the most awkward medical visits in my opinion. You lay back in a chair and stare at the tiled, boring ceiling; while a man/woman you don't know works in your mouth, and usually their face is only inches away from yours; all the time, they attempt small talk to avoid the awkwardness. I usually laugh or nod or make non-verbal noises that in some way resemble "uh-huh" or "huh-uh."