Gas and Lortab and Motrin, oh my!
In the process of cutting back my hours at work, Jon and I are looking at a span of time looming ahead that may mean no insurance…or at least a higher premium due to pre-existing conditions because we’re going from a company plan to, who knows what? So, in a mad rush to get all our checkups and procedures done before the insurance goes away, I’ve been to the dentist a lot lately. We’ve figured out how to get my eye-tooth capped after a root canal, how to have two bridges put in, and also how to schedule all the prep work leading up to these things done on the only days I have available…Friday’s.
This last Friday, the next dental step in the process of work to be done was to have several partial teeth pulled. To be able to put in a bridge or an implant, the broken and dead teeth still sitting in my jaw had to be extracted to make room for new teeth, as well as to prevent infection.
I got to the dentist’s office at 11:00 on the dot. They ran my card, had me fill out some paperwork, and I played Bubbles on my phone for a few minutes until they were ready for me. Even when they took me into the back, they had to have me sign a consent form and then they had to prep me by putting that odd little nose hose on my face while telling me to breathe normally. Hmm. Slight citrus scent to the gas. Interesting. My first time. Is it odd that I didn’t really notice anything except a calming effect? I honestly just wanted to take a nap.
My dentist is amazing! He got in there with the numbing gel stuff, a couple of shots to deaden both sides of my face, and then slam, bang, boom, I was done! I thought he was doing the old prod-and-test thing on my gums…just checking out the area before he started cutting and pulling anything..but it turns out that he dove in, pulled the roots of 8 teeth, and then stuffed some gauze in my face and sent me on my way with two prescriptions and an instruction sheet to avoid dry socket. Whoah! I was in my car at exactly noon. I was shocked that he hadn’t thrown his hands in the air after tying my hands and feet together. Land-speed record here! And it was nearly painless! There was a pinch at one point that made me grimace the slightest bit. He stopped to ask if I’d felt any pain, and I lifted up my hand to motion the sign for “just a little bit.” He asked if it had been a sharp stabbing pain, or if it was more of a pressure type of feeling. After laughing in his face, which I’m sure he thought was gas-induced, I assured him it wasn’t knifing…just a little bit of pressure…and that I was good under pressure situations.
The rest of the weekend was spent well-relaxed with only two or three doses of medication and several naps to avoid any pain. Today I’m still a bit tired, but the wounds are healing nicely and I had no problem eating a salad for lunch. Next week, a crown…two weeks after that, the bridges. End of November finds me part-time. Whew!
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