yikes

One down.  I visited my dentist today, and had my teeth cleaned, and had my broken tooth appliance assessed.  It cannot be repaired.  The replacement cost is over a thousand dollars.  That is the yikes.

On a brighter side, I had no tartar or plaque, and that is with not having my teeth cleaned in over two years.  I take good care of my weird mix of regular teeth, that little appliance and all kinds of crowns and stuff.  I  have my own scalers and use them every week or so.  I brush twice a day, adding a third time when I have ten or twelve hour days.  I floss. 

I have a night guard because I have TMJ, because of, well all that other stuff.  It does not work and has twice moved in my mouth and choked me awake.  Turns out that it was not made properly in the first place.  I have had that thing and been struggling with it for a year.  The brighter side of that is that because it was their fault, I am getting a new one at no cost, along with a big apology.

I also have gingivitis on one tooth, a back molar.  I mean, how can you have that on one tooth?  You can have it on one tooth if your night guard does not fit properly and you have to wear your flipper twenty-four hours a day, and that teeny bit of plastic that looks like a tooth causes an allergic reaction or some such nonsense.

So, a fluoride treatment and an expensive bottle of swishy-washy stuff (neither of which was covered by insurance) and it should heal.  Nicely and well.  Yay.

Other than that, it was a pretty decent day, particularly getting a tiny tube of paste and a new toothbrush.  Yay.

Next week glasses and the week after a check-up.  This week family on the weekend.  I am not a huge fan of holidays and extended family.  It is too much for a shy person to take sometimes.  Not always, but often it seems too stressful, although I am very grateful to have great family around which to be shy. 

I have a pretty darn fabulous life now.  Lots of things for which to be grateful.