Temporary

“It usually just pops right off,” is what the dental assistant said to me yesterday.  I was in to dentist office to get a crown put on, which usually means you don’t need to get the numbing injection.  Typically they pull off the temporary crown and put on the new/permanent crown.  Not yesterday. It couldn’t be that easy.

For those of you who don’t have crowns yet, you get a temporary because the impression they take of your tooth has to be sent off (somewhere) to be created out of a more permanent material (there are several options and, honestly, I don’t know what mine is made of). In the interim you get a temporary tooth that is put on with a very light adhesive – usually.

Guess what? The dental assistant who put on my temporary crown 2.5 weeks ago put it on with permanent cement.  That meant that the temporary had to be drilled off.  This, of course, meant I had to get the numbing injection!!  Now, you may recall from a previous post that I am a very fearful dentist patient.  The dentist even remarked that, of all her patients, it’s uncanny that this happened to me…Oh the irony.

speaking of irony:

Anxiety-fueled run

“You’re a real trooper.”  That’s what my dentist and dental assistant said to me repeatedly during my two-hour appointment today. 

Now, the truth is that I am not a real trooper.  In fact, when getting dental work done I normally get “the gas” – i.e. nitrous oxide. It helps but they rarely turn it up high enough to cut through the anxiety. I go to a dentist that specializes in patients with anxiety related to dentistry.  You’re probably thinking “who doesn’t have some anxiety related to going to the dentist?”  Well, I’ll tell you.  I’ve been to dentists that basically told me that I needed to buck up or leave.  The difference between those dentists and my dentist is that my dentist is empathetic and gentle, which should be the norm but really isn’t.

I went in for two fillings and a crown.  When I was informed today that the gas was in use by other patients and not available for me, I became, let’s say, visibly fearful.  The dental assistant was so comforting and sweet.  She actually started tearing up when I shed some tears of fear.  The lesson for the day for me is that a little kindness can go a long way to making someone feel better. 

After arriving home post-appointment, I quickly changed and went for a great run.  I think my body was charged with pent up anxiety.  Also the temperature was perfect just after sunset in Cheesman Park.

I took some photos of myself and my numbed lip but I’m not going to share them.