Tooth Torture

I'm having dental woes.

It all started with my first dental check-up in 4 or so years. Lets see, the last time I went I was prego with Tate. Yikes! I actually remember going then and getting sick to my stomach and throwing up in the dentist office...haven't been back since.

Anyway, so one of my teeth had started to bother me everytime I chomped down on anything sweet. Now, I wasn't about to give up my Hershey bars and strawberry cupcakes, so I decided that I would suck it up and go to the dentist.

My first appointment was really okay. I had a super nice hygienist and she didn't hurt me. So she scored points there. But, then she spoke the dreaded words, "You have five cavities."

FIVE? What? I really do brush and floss I promise! Okay, sometimes I skip flossing, but gee whiz...five cavities?! I guess that is one cavity for every year that I have played skip-a-roo from the dentist! Serves me right.

So I went back last week and had my first three fillings. They were all in a row on the top. The source of all my cringing when I munched on CrackerJacks. So, I was pretty excited that they were fixing those first...meant pain-free sweet snackin' for me! Wha-hoo! They gave me laughing gas on that visit...I was flying high and feeling no pain. He could have done whatever he wanted to me that day. In fact, I remember having the crazy thought that I was sad that he was finished working on me...like I said...crazy.

After a good experience last week and enjoying the pure pleasure of eating something sugary and not wanting to dig my fingernails into the nearest piece of furniture, I headed back today for my final two fillings. I settled back into the chair, flipped on FoxNews, and prepared myself for another high-flying experience. UNH-UH.

Oh, I got the gas...but, I think the dental assistant had it turned up higher than last time. It was more confusing and bothersome this time than psychedelic. So the doc came in and shot me in the gum. I watched some Olympic recaps on TV and then he was back. He began to drill on my tooth instructing me to raise my hand if it hurt. Oh, I raised my hand alright. It felt like he was scraping bone in there. So he apologized profusely and shot me again. I watched something about Obama on TV and he was back. He started drilling again. Up goes my hand...again. What the heck is going on? I've been gassed and shot twice...sheeze louise. He was clearly perplexed by my stubborn tooth, so he asked his assistant (I think her name was Stacy, but all I know for sure is that she was wearing gray scrubs and apparently has a boyfriend...) for something. I don't know if I didn't catch the name because of all the Novocain he had shot me with plus the laughing gas, or if it just has a medical name that I didn't understand, but whatever it was, he used it on me. It felt like he was inserting something under my tooth, maybe like a cream or gel, but who knows...I was already to the stage of biting my tongue I was so numb. This time he started to drill and I didn't feel a thing.

He finished up the fillings quickly after that, and soon I was hanging out in the chair with oxygen flowing in place of the happy gas.

Right after my appointment, I had to take Tate for a physical and school shots and had a meeting I needed to attend. I made my way through both trying not to take a hunk out of my tongue or my cheek. I kept slurring all my words and couldn't pronounce my S's or my Th's until about 45 minutes ago. It sounded more like I had stayed on the gas too long rather than just having had dental work!

But, now I HURT SO BAD. I don't know if it is because he had to do the extra stuff to me to get me numb or what, but it is hurting something awful. I had to eat on the other side of my mouth, not because I thought I'd bite my cheek, but because it hurts too bad for anything to touch my tooth.

Well, I'm hoping that after a couple of Tylenol and a snooze I'll feel better. If not, I guess I'll go back and ask him to check me...I just don't want anything else to hurt! Then it might be five more years before I ever go back again...