on tooths and the care and cleaning thereof...

[lagilman]

My dentist is an older, very cranky Ukrainian woman who manages to be both abrasive and funny as hell (and drives her staff crazy, but they're weirdly loyal despite that). She is also very fierce about her patients taking responsibility for/having knowledge of their mouths, which means that I not only get to see my digital x-rays, but I have a layman's knowledge of exactly where everything is in my mouth, and how I'm mistreating it.

(or, to quote Dr S, "You have such a good mouth, nicely aligned teeth, straight jaw, it could be perfect if only you took better care of it.")

My flossing skills, let me show you how they suck. I'm 44, you'd think I'd know how to do it better, by now?

Anyway, what we also discovered this visit is that I have chipped a molar. How? Who the hell knows. But it amuses me because it is a left molar, which corresponds almost exactly with the fang Pandora chipped toward the end of last year.

The ex-guy once called her my barometer-cat: look at her to see what's going on with me. Apparently, it's dental, too. 0-0


On the plus side, my teeth seem to be in otherwise good shape, and my gums haven't abandoned ship yet. I call that a win.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Well, that seems like mostly good news.

[threeoutside.livejournal.com]

I came late to daily, thorough flossing. I came to it after undergoing two grueling sessions of deep-cleaning of the teeth below the gum line. In one session they did the right side, the second one the left. Each time it took 9 novocaine (R) shots to sufficiently numb my gums for the process. Each session took two hours. Despite the novocaine, it hurt. I hope you're getting the idea that this was NOT fun in any sense of the word whatsoever. And it was expensive. And without it I could have lost all my teeth by age 65. I do floss daily now, and I am grateful to have teeth to do it to.

Mouth chemistry varies, of course. But flossing takes 5 minutes, and it's hella cheap, especially compared to the suffering and expense and self-castigation that neglecting it can lead to down the road.

Can I encourage you to develop the skill and the habit ASAP? Because you love yourself?

[lagilman]

I've already had gum surgery. I know how important it is - I'm just lousy at maintaining it.

(also: genetic predisposition to weak gums.)

[threeoutside.livejournal.com]

Ah, gotcha. Well, to each her own. Good luck!

[smoemeth.livejournal.com]

My dentist is Transylvanian. Her (extremely whipped) husband is her hygienist. I don't know what his real name is -- I just always refer to him in my mind as Igor. :} I'm so afraid of what she'll say when I finally call to go back (since it's been over 2 years) that I keep putting it off. Counter-productive, I know. But she's a genius, and can fill a cavity without any need for novocaine ... I have a broken (not chipped) molar since two Super Bowls ago, I really need to give her a call ... sigh.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

I don't floss!