Zen Cats Peppermint and Lilliput, © Joan Z. Rough, 2006It's been a long week. On Tuesday I spent from 9 AM to 5 PM in the dentist chair having some major dental work done. I had well over 15 shots of novacaine and was poked, drilled and prodded until I couldn't stand it anymore. My jaw is still very swollen from those shots and I've been having a hard time keeping my head from feeling like a bomb sight.
As a child I was taken to a dentist who told my mother that my teeth were full of cavities. After many, many visits to him to have my cavities filled, we arrived one day to find the door to his office locked, all of his furniture gone and not a sign on the door to say where he'd gone. He'd obviously gone to another state where the grass was greener with unsuspecting victims and perfect teeth that needed filling. My mother had paid him a bloody fortune for what another dentist told us was a scam. I had not had all those cavities and we were not the only family that was taken for their savings. The scoundrel never was found and I often wonder whenever I sit in a dentist's chair if there is a special place called "Hell for Crooked Dentists." I'm sure he is there!
The result of all of this is that as I've aged the fillings have had to be refilled over and over again. The teeth have weakened and a whole other set of problems began. So on Tuesday, we started making my mouth a new masterful work of art. All of the teeth on the lower jaw are being crowned. They were drilled away except for a thin post and covered with temporary plastic crowns that will be replaced in about six weeks with porcelain crowns.
One of the temps fell out last night during dinner and I had to go back this morning to have it cemented back in place. Needless to say, I wasn't eager to go back and I don't think they were eager to see me either. The only thing worse I can think of than going through all this, is being on the other end of the job, having to stare down into someone else's mouth breathing their breath for 8 hours a day.
I suppose I could think of all this as a collaberation of sorts. I've promised not to swear anymore, eat sticky fruit flavored candies at the movies and only allow nice things to come out of my mouth. In return I get a set a teeth that look really great and "knock wood" will quit giving me so many problems. But I do have to rob a bank to pay for all of this!
One of the highlights of my week was finding the photo above while going through all that stuff piled in the corners of my office of my precious cats on my meditation cushion being enlightened. I think I'll try some of that!!
As a child I was taken to a dentist who told my mother that my teeth were full of cavities. After many, many visits to him to have my cavities filled, we arrived one day to find the door to his office locked, all of his furniture gone and not a sign on the door to say where he'd gone. He'd obviously gone to another state where the grass was greener with unsuspecting victims and perfect teeth that needed filling. My mother had paid him a bloody fortune for what another dentist told us was a scam. I had not had all those cavities and we were not the only family that was taken for their savings. The scoundrel never was found and I often wonder whenever I sit in a dentist's chair if there is a special place called "Hell for Crooked Dentists." I'm sure he is there!
The result of all of this is that as I've aged the fillings have had to be refilled over and over again. The teeth have weakened and a whole other set of problems began. So on Tuesday, we started making my mouth a new masterful work of art. All of the teeth on the lower jaw are being crowned. They were drilled away except for a thin post and covered with temporary plastic crowns that will be replaced in about six weeks with porcelain crowns.
One of the temps fell out last night during dinner and I had to go back this morning to have it cemented back in place. Needless to say, I wasn't eager to go back and I don't think they were eager to see me either. The only thing worse I can think of than going through all this, is being on the other end of the job, having to stare down into someone else's mouth breathing their breath for 8 hours a day.
I suppose I could think of all this as a collaberation of sorts. I've promised not to swear anymore, eat sticky fruit flavored candies at the movies and only allow nice things to come out of my mouth. In return I get a set a teeth that look really great and "knock wood" will quit giving me so many problems. But I do have to rob a bank to pay for all of this!
One of the highlights of my week was finding the photo above while going through all that stuff piled in the corners of my office of my precious cats on my meditation cushion being enlightened. I think I'll try some of that!!
4 comments:
Oh dear, sorry to hear about all your dental problems! Hope it all goes well this time, for the last time. I've been having old fillings replaced gradually, one at a time. Cute cats!
You poor thing, what an ordeal! And it doesn't do to think about the so-and-so who caused it all when you were a child...
I do hope you recover well, the cat pic's gorgeous!
Yikes is right! You are definitely deserving of some of that relaxation your kitties are practicing.
What a horrible childhood experience you had. I had some bad dental experiences as a child myself, with the result that I was quite dental phobic for a number of years. Happily, I haven't had any serious problems (knock wood!), and my visits to the dentist are quite routine now.
I hope it's all over soon :)
Oh, ouch. I don't have anxiety about dentist appointments, but I wouldn't want to spend an entire day there either. I hope you're feeling better today - I'd say you've more than earned a nice relaxing massage.
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