Turanga Veela
Straddling universes
That only took forty years!
I never had dentistry as a kid, and, since I don't have much of a sweet tooth, am fairly thorough with self care, and seem to have been blessed with decent dental genetics, I was able to avoid going. Aside from some crowding on the lower fronts, all has been more or less well.
But then, at the beginning of last year, one of my wisdoms started to hurt. And my husband (ASD) convinced me that the techs and doctors at the practice he goes to weren't to be feared. So in I went, for the first time, about ten months ago. And that started a long chain of all-too-regular visits. First, the week before Christmas, off to the oral surgeon, to have all my wisdoms yanked. Not as bad as I would've thought, except for the lower right, which was growing in at an angle, and had damaged the molar next to it. That was a traumatic extraction, and I had a LOT of bruises on my chin and head after. The molar needed a crown, and the tooth had to be drilled in stages, so it took six appointments (!) to fix. And then there were a couple of minor cavities to take care of.
And now, at the urging of the hygienist, I'm finally getting my crowded underbite taken care of. Today I had the impressions taken for Invisalign.
I've had so many head x-rays this year, I should be glowing.
All of this was about as profoundly awkward and discomfiting as I presumed it would be, with so many people in my face and maw for so so many hours. I took some comfort in the fact that I wasn't expected to make small talk at all while it was happening.
But I kind of have to pat myself on the back. Because even ten years ago, I never would've been able to step foot in a dentist's office (well, for my kids, but never myself) without the prompting of some severe disease or trauma.
I never had dentistry as a kid, and, since I don't have much of a sweet tooth, am fairly thorough with self care, and seem to have been blessed with decent dental genetics, I was able to avoid going. Aside from some crowding on the lower fronts, all has been more or less well.
But then, at the beginning of last year, one of my wisdoms started to hurt. And my husband (ASD) convinced me that the techs and doctors at the practice he goes to weren't to be feared. So in I went, for the first time, about ten months ago. And that started a long chain of all-too-regular visits. First, the week before Christmas, off to the oral surgeon, to have all my wisdoms yanked. Not as bad as I would've thought, except for the lower right, which was growing in at an angle, and had damaged the molar next to it. That was a traumatic extraction, and I had a LOT of bruises on my chin and head after. The molar needed a crown, and the tooth had to be drilled in stages, so it took six appointments (!) to fix. And then there were a couple of minor cavities to take care of.
And now, at the urging of the hygienist, I'm finally getting my crowded underbite taken care of. Today I had the impressions taken for Invisalign.
I've had so many head x-rays this year, I should be glowing.
All of this was about as profoundly awkward and discomfiting as I presumed it would be, with so many people in my face and maw for so so many hours. I took some comfort in the fact that I wasn't expected to make small talk at all while it was happening.
But I kind of have to pat myself on the back. Because even ten years ago, I never would've been able to step foot in a dentist's office (well, for my kids, but never myself) without the prompting of some severe disease or trauma.
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