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Nov 19, 2009

Gap-toothed Me Goes to the Dentist.

I don't remember the last time I went to see a dentist.  Wait, let me rephrase that, I remember the last time I saw dentist; however I don't specifically remember how long ago that was.  I do remember the incident, in which during a game of what should have been "touch" football, I was involved in a sort of dog-pile, and my bridge was knocked out. 

Now that may seem like quite the serious injury or incident, but not really.  I actually have to bridges, supporting one false tooth each.  I have had these since I was about 17 (roughly, anyway).  These bridges are called butterfly bridges, or more accurately, a Maryland Bridge.  For reference, this is what a Maryland Bridge looks like:


These are inexpensive, as far as dental standards go, however they are prone to failure.  Not only that, but in my particular case, one of my teeth is decaying underneath the bridge. I found this out after my bridge failed, again, while eating a taco. 

So made an appointment to see a dentist, who was very calm and pleasant.  But I also knew, I was due for a bit of a but chewing, given the fact it had been so long since I had seen a dentist. 

After he reattached the bridge, he pulled up a chair, and said, "Now we need to talk."

So he said my teeth are a mess, and given the fact I have decent dental coverage, there was absolutely no reason I wasn't being seen at least once a year in order to get them cleaned.  On top of that, as I mentioned, my front tooth is decaying underneath the bridge. 

It should be know my parents spent a fair chunk of change on my smile.  Here is a picture of their efforts.


Now imagine, if you will, two teeth missing.  This is what I would look like then.


So, there you have it.  My sister and I frequently like to remind my father this is all his fault (after all, its his DNA that left us toothless).  My sister even went so far as to let me know I would fit in with the beaver exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (which incidental, earned her a smack across the face, and a "You deserved that" from my mother).  I should note I certainly do not endorse violence, and I was about 10 at the time.  Call it a learning experience.  I did, however, get a stern lecture from mom regarding violence and the unacceptable practice of hitting women.  But in the end, Sis had it coming.  I'll defend me stance on that till the day I die.

But I digress. I go back to see the Dentist on Tuesday morning.  A thorough cleaning and exam to make an attack plan to replace both bridges.  Yippee. 

I guess I should be glad the dental coverage we have is decent enough.  And, since its near the end of the year, we should be able to break it up into this year and next year, taking advantage of this years and the new years allowance from my dental insurance.  So this is a good thing.  I'm sure I'll have more as time moves on.

6 comments:

  1. I always knew that Aquarium Incident would come back to haunt me. It makes me feel better that mom lectured you behind my back. That is one of the few childhood memories that is extremely vivid in my mind, so yeah, I probably had it coming.

    And funny thing, I always thought they were "Marilyn" bridges... I'd never seen it written down on paper. Just always heard Mom and Dr. Jill say it...

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  2. And by the way, I must be the ONLY person in our family that actually enjoys getting a good teeth cleaning. No kidding, I LOVE it! I always get on the hygentist to scrape harder and I never procrastinate my next appointment - book it six months out every time.

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  3. I tell you, dentists are sure getting a fair chunk of money from the members of this family lately. Dad has a appt. with my specialist dentist to have his cracked tooth looked at for a crown. He's sixty years old and his first crown. I've lost track of how many I have. And I have always taken good care of my teeth with regular dental visits.
    Take care of your teeth, guys. I have and I still have problems. And I love teeth cleaning too. Only when she scrapes my teeth, it feels like nails on a chalkboard. Good luck Adam, we are thinking of you.

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  4. Hello, You don't know me, but ...
    This isn't about the dentist visit but I figured it was the best way to reach you. I googled "Fox Valley Christmas Trees" and saw you had a blog entry in 2007 saying that was your favorite place to get your tree. It was ours too - but we don't know where they are this year (2009). We went out last night to the place on Indianola where they used to be, and there's now a mini-storage facility there. Do you happen to know where they are? I can't find a current listing anywhere; I called Information and they were less than helpful. If you know where they are can you let me know?
    thanks,
    Jen
    Jen.morey@yahoo.com

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  5. Now, this is what I’m talking about insurance. If we have dental insurance, we should take advantage of it, right? Trust me. Having a good set of teeth is a good addition to our self confidence. Your smile is better without gaps in your teeth. Your dentist did a great job!

    Gunilla Cameron

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  6. thank you so very much@ i could not go to the dentist, because the new teeth dental implants seem like horrible stone age torture practice when i would see a patient get them and shocked... so this maryland bridge is a light less torture advice@ thank you all again...blessings and a great year... jenny

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You went to all the trouble to get yourself here, you might as well say something about it.

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