The Dentist

Ok, so Ben & I went to the dentist today to get our teeth checked. He had been having a little pain with one tooth & I needed to have a cavity checked. Well, we both hadn't been to the dentist in a LONG time, I'm talking 1995 when we both had our wisdom teeth pulled. I know that's pretty bad, but we didn't have dental insurance for quite a while and we weren't having any problems. You know the old saying "Don't fix it if it isn't broken!"

Anyway, my checkup went pretty good, for now. They only did one x-ray of the tooth in question. Turns out I chipped it a little (it's a back tooth and the spot is in between the two teeth) and it's NOT a cavity! WOOHOO!! He said my teeth look pretty good and so do my gums, especially for not seeing a dentist in so long! YAY! Although, I'm going back next week to have the full x-rays and teeth cleaning. I had a lot of cavities filled at one time when I was around 10 or 11 and haven't had any since then. So, I'm hoping nothing is too terribly wrong w/ my teeth now.

Ben, on the other hand, received not such good news. He brushes a lot and tries to keep his teeth clean, just like the rest of us, however, he found out (and pretty much already knew) that he has periodontal disease (gum disease) and has to have root planing! OUCH! That's where they shove their sharp tools into the gums and scrape your teeth roots to clean them!!! He is NOT happy that I made him go to the dentist and NOT pleased about the upcoming procedures. He also has a couple small cavities. Again, NOT happy with his results. He's going back this afternoon for his cleaning and full x-rays, so he's nervous about the results.

I feel really bad for him. I was really hoping he wouldn't have to go thru this. My dad said that he had to have the same thing done when he was about our age. He said it was very unpleasant! (Meaning - OUCH!!) From then on, my Dad gets his teeth cleaned every 6 weeks! Yep that says weeks not months! He doesn't ever want to go thru anything like that again! Plus his dentist is one of his best friends, so it's fun for him to go see his friend!

Have you ever had to have this done??