Mumble mumble

I've seen the dentist way too much this year. A few months back I finally had my wisdom teeth removed, all four of them. At the same time. While awake. 2 were impacted, one being completely sideways and the other leaning on a molar, causing my first ever cavity. That was a fun and percocet filled weekend.

Then I had my annual cleaning a couple weeks ago. Today they started work on my crown and capped it with a temporary, it was only supposed to be a filling! Dammit. Copay went from $38 to $388 Double dammit. That's money that could be going towards one of my cars. Good thing I had 2 percocets left. Still hurts. I have to go back in a few weeks for the crown.

I was so tired/worn out I didn't go to the gym. Even fell asleep on the floor face down drooling for a bit. The good news is I got a good spindle installed on mom's Rav4. Stupid shop pressed in the wheel bearings incorrectly last time, might have damaged my brand new hub. I don't know where this post is going. Something about being damn near 30 and getting my first cavity, like having perfect attendance all through school only to miss a day before graduation. Or hitting every apex perfectly only to clip a cone at the end of the run. Percocet might've kicked in. I love you man.

lol good luck and I hope you feel better.

Dental stuff can be fun. I like to see what is happening, so I always have a mirror, and 101 questions.

I had a blast doing the implant. Checking out the titanium woodscrew, the craftsman ratchet (really, it was a craftsman 1/4" dental ratchet), etc. Wondering if my skull would split like firewood (felt like it might). etc.

Even had to help the dentist at one point because the ratchet was old and worn and kept camming out before reaching final torque. Which when the screw is in your skull, produces remarkably jarring results every time the ratchet slips.

I can just imagine... and thanks to you, Foxtrapper.. I now can

I was asleep when they took my 3 wisdom teeth out and left the fourth (too close to my eye socket). I was awake, however, when the dentist had to relocate my two front upper teeth after they were pushed back into my head about 3/8" from a bicycle/pavement/face accident. He put his knee on my chest and his thumbs up behind my front teeth and pulled. I think my dad walked away at that point. Later on I had a root canal and a crown on one of the two. I try not to take pain meds, and usually don't need them anyways.

I had cavities all the time when I was a kid. Not all the time but quite a few of them.

Then I go for 7 years without going to the dentist because I guess I was lazy and couldnt be bothered with it. When I finally made the appointment and went, No cavities, go figure. Just needed a cleaning and the typical "you need to floss more" talkin to.

I had my wisdom teeth taken out while in the Navy. The first one was while I was awake....nearly 3 HOURS in a chair, with 3 or 4 shots. Spent that weekend drooling. To top it off, the doctor UNDER prescribed the dosage of pain pills, so all I had was aspirin. The other 3 were taken out in oral surgury, asleep, and in and out of anesthestia (sp?) in 25 minutes. I was sure they hadn't even started, but looking at clock on wall confirmed time had passed.

I have too many cavities because I LOVE junk food and especially soda....to my eternal regret.

I got my teenage daughters through childhood and braces with zero cavities... now I find DD#2 has a cavity caused by a loose sealant designed to - wait for it - protect her teeth from decay. Kinda pisses me off.

When I was a kid my mother hated milk and so there was never any in the house. OTOH, the was always a case of those green-glass, all-sugar Coca Cola bottles. So, yeah, most of my teeth are crap. I'm doing much better as an a adult, but even with no new cavities in years, the old fillings need replacement on a regular basis.

I was so tired/worn out I didn't go to the gym.

Hey! That's my excuse too!

Copay schmoepay. Kwitcherbellyachin'. I sat at Shands hospital in Gainesville for 8 hours to get an infected wisdom tooth pulled by a student. I was the last "patient" that day. After 4 unsuccessful attempts at numbing with shots, he finally said "Well, the novacaine's not working. Do you want me to pull it or not?" It took about 15 minutes and multiple attempts, because poor wristy lafemme was getting worn out. I vividly remember seeing big chunks of gum come out with the roots.

A few weeks later, after it had healed up, I could feel a chunk of tooth in there, and it was driving me berkeleying insane. Couldn't afford to go back to the dentist, and damned if I was going to sit there all berkeleying day and miss work, so one bottle of Kash & Karry brand Vodka and an X-acto knife later, me and my roomate were playing "Buford Highway Illegal Mexican Trailer Park Dentist."

berkeley.

Last time I went, they suggested "Dental Surgery". I haven't been back yet. I have had root canals which produced nuclear amounts of pain. Now, I love drugs.

In reply to poopshovel:

Shade-tree Dentistry? Holy berkeley. I would consider that to be one of the most impressive DIY jobs this side of home-grown abdominal surgery.

poopshovel wrote: so one bottle of Kash & Karry brand Vodka and an X-acto knife later, me and my roomate were playing "Buford Highway Illegal Mexican Trailer Park Dentist."

That's going in the magazine, that is.

poopshovel wrote: snip

You scare me

I had two wisdom teeth taken out. After I woke up, the dentist said (and I'm quoting), "The top one came out fine, but that bottom one was a stone bitch." Being Canadian from birth, my instant reaction was to say, "I'm sorry."

Look at it this way: at least you HAVE dental coverage! Usually the first benefit to go. Think of what the bill would have been without it.

foxtrapper wrote: Dental stuff can be fun. I like to see what is happening, so I always have a mirror, and 101 questions. I had a blast doing the implant. Checking out the titanium woodscrew, the craftsman ratchet (really, it was a craftsman 1/4" dental ratchet), etc. Wondering if my skull would split like firewood (felt like it might). etc. Even had to help the dentist at one point because the ratchet was old and worn and kept camming out before reaching final torque. Which when the screw is in your skull, produces remarkably jarring results every time the ratchet slips.

It's also fun to watch the SMOKE come out of your mouth when the dentist seals the ends of the temp root canal inserts. "Wow, my mouth's on fire, cool!" I thought, watching the procedure in a mirror.

Well after reading some of these posts I have no room to complain. Also... Bob Costas.

poopshovel wrote:

I was so tired/worn out I didn't go to the gym.

Hey! That's my excuse too! Copay schmoepay. Kwitcherbellyachin'. I sat at Shands hospital in Gainesville for 8 hours to get an infected wisdom tooth by a student. I was the last "patient" that day. After 4 unsuccessful attempts at numbing with shots, he finally said "Well, the novacaine's not working. Do you want me to pull it or not?" It took about 15 minutes and multiple attempts, because poor wristy lafemme was getting worn out. I vividly remember seeing big chunks of gum come out with the roots. A few weeks later, after it had healed up, I could feel a chunk of tooth in there, and it was driving me berkeleying insane. Couldn't afford to go back to the dentist, and damned if I was going to sit there all berkeleying day and miss work, so one bottle of Kash & Karry brand Vodka and an X-acto knife later, me and my roomate were playing "Buford Highway Illegal Mexican Trailer Park Dentist."

I had a similar, but less horrifying experience. A couple of years ago I had to have two molars extracted. The actual procedure was done by professionals and went really smoothly, but after a week or two, I could feel something in there that was moving around and trying to poke through the gums. Once I decided that it definitely was a chunk of tooth that wasn't supposed to be in there, I cut it out with an X-acto in the bathroom at work.

yeah, i've had 5 root canal's from various reasons, percocets don't do E36 M3. Vicodin is where it is at...

Drugs are for people with feelings. I don't use drugs, I'm an engineer.

Stealthtercel wrote: I had two wisdom teeth taken out. After I woke up, the dentist said (and I'm quoting), "The top one came out fine, but that bottom one was a stone bitch." Being Canadian from birth, my instant reaction was to say, "I'm sorry."

You got my coffee room in Saskatoon laughing.

Duke wrote: I got my teenage daughters through childhood *and braces* with zero cavities... now I find DD#2 has a cavity caused by a loose sealant designed to - wait for it - *protect her teeth from decay*. Kinda pisses me off. When I was a kid my mother hated milk and so there was never any in the house. OTOH, the *was* always a case of those green-glass, all-sugar Coca Cola bottles. So, yeah, most of my teeth are crap. I'm doing much better as an a adult, but even with no new cavities in years, the old fillings need replacement on a regular basis.

I had braces as a teen too, then the wisdoms grew in and pushed some teeth together, oh well. My teeth weren't jacked before and aren't now either.

All I drank through HS was Dr Pepper and Powerade. I don't brush after every meal and I get yelled at for not flossing enough too. Just plain luck I suppose.

DuctTape&Bondo wrote: I've seen the dentist way too much this year. A few months back I finally had my wisdom teeth removed, all four of them. At the same time. While awake.

I had the same thing done last year, it mostly went smoothly but the roots of one tooth were splayed outwards so it had to be sawed in half before removal. Of course the recovery process was still horrific.