The Caries Diary
I have caries… dental caries, also know as a cavities. It’s actually one cavity and another two to keep an eye on.
I’m devastated.
This is my first cavity. I’m in my early thirties, so I know I have had a good run. But I think it hurts my ego more that anything.
I went to a new dentist yesterday. I have not been since summer 2011. My follow-up in January 2012 was cancelled because of flooding in the office. They never called to reschedule, but I didn’t either and thought to just postpone until the following summer. When I called to make an appointment, my voice message wasn’t returned. The office up and closed.
It is not fun looking for a new provider, even a dentist. You have to see if they are covered by your dental insurance, if you have any. They think about a location to look in… by work, by home? Maybe search reviews online.
I love the dentist (and I think I lucked out with my new find). You come out with smooth, glittering, clean teeth. Fresh breath. Maybe some goodies. What’s not to love? Also I have good check ups. I loved going because I knew nothing would really be wrong. Everything would be status quo. Manchild said it is positive reinforcement. It totally is.
It was the last physical frontier that I was holding onto. I got my first pair of glasses twenty years ago, so the eyes are shot. I’m not a flexible or trim as I used to be (with the same minimal effort). But my teeth… they were my one last ‘A’.
And now it is gone.
My initial thought was ‘damn that hippie toothpaste’. I have been using Trader Joe’s toothpaste for about 1 1/2 years. It’s natural and isn’t jaw-clenching sweet like most others. But I don’t think it’s the toothpaste. It has fluoride. Maybe not enough? I don’t really know.
Now I will, of course, be ultra-obsessed with dental hygiene. Brushing and flossing after meals, not just twice daily. And maybe I should use Listerine, even though it seems to have the alcohol content of whiskey.
I will discuss it with my dentist when I go in for my filling. My first ever filling. For my first cavity. Sigh…
Tags: caries, cavity, dentist
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