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Root Canal – what’s the hype?
Last month I returned to the dentist after a many-year absence to discover nearly every childhood filling needs to be replaced, and every other tooth is cracked, chipped, worn down, etc. etc. etc.
Today was visit number three in the restorative saga, where our protagonist gets first ever root canal.
When my sister was last visiting The Compound we bemoaned the industry’s general reluctance to use laughing gas anymore. My dentist believes in a healthy amount of local anast… anaes… numbing needles and also, based on my hands-flying-about-signals-of-distress exhibition from the last visit, a prescription sedative.
The up-side, I don’t remember much of the 2 hour visit, and wasn’t bothered as much by that nasty dental dam thing they rig up, guaranteed to make you choke and gag. I may have even slept some. The down-side was needing George to drive to and from the visit, reducing the effectiveness of his work day.
Got home, went back to bed and five hours later am waking up to what may feel almost normal – just a bit pale and wiggy.
I know TV likes to use the root canal as a running joke, but perhaps it is not quite as bad as they like to say. Then again I haven’t seen the bill yet.
We’re not done. Not by a long shot. Several more new fillings. Some sort of protective coating for the teeth ground down to the pulp. A crown.
The dentist has a nice arrangement with the florist across the street, and has a cut flower ready to apologize for particularly traumatic visits. I wonder how many carnations will dot my summer.
Perhaps if Ma is reading she can remind me the name of our Windsor Dentist. I can picture the office, close to Budimir Library, the narrow wood panelled hallway, the lingering, nervous smell, yellow fluorescent lighting, but I can’t read the sign on his door. Started with a “M”?
2 Responses to “Root Canal – what’s the hype?”
This is spooky!
Dad is at the dentist right now and I had been thinking that we all were pretty good about brushing, dentists etc. and there you are with your tale of woe.
Dr. Meloche, who retired about two years ago.
And I have had two root canals and always wondered why people talked about them so badly.
And I have a crown too. The biggest shock will be the bill. for sure.
I stopped going to him several years ago, trying to make changes in my life. (??). I had a woman dentist who did good work (so she said). After a few years of check-ups and repairs, I had an appt. and in went the dam. I panicked and they had to remove it. Don’t know why because I had had it before.
My next venture with a dentist will be to get a night guard. My TMJ is acting up again and this should help. You will probably need one too, if you are doing a lot of grinding.
. . . . is it safe?