seticat

Good News: I'm eligible for dental care at the local VA and have a really good dentist. I may be the exception to the rule, but I've always gotten good care there. I guess there are some advantages with having a card from the government saying you're broken.

Bad News: Evidently I'm been more stressed in my Real Life Situations over the last couple months then I thought. When I had my yearly checkup last months my dentist discovered that I must be grinding my teeth at night because in the time between my last clearing [late Oct] and the appointment, I've managed to grind through the tops of two crowns and an amalgam filling. Which is of note for me because I *never* grind my teeth. Or not that I knew of.

Good News: Had my restoration appointment today and they did amalgam restorations on all three areas. For those who know the system, we're talking less than a month from discovery to treatment. And they made a night guard so I've got something to bite on at night. I have appointments with the periodontist and for my quarterly cleaning in a couple of weeks too.

Bad News: You know, any time your dentist says things like 'You might hear a bit of cracking - don't worry about it' or 'You may be a bit more tender than usual after we're done', be prepared. We didn't get a good local take on the first pass and that's unusual for this guy - he's got good hands for a local and he knows it take about double the volume and multiple injection sites to get a good local on me. I have what can be described as a 'challenging' facial nerve system. So when I started flinching, he stopped right away and touched it up by with a third injection - between the tooth root and the jaw bone. Thank all the Gods Big and Small it was a lower. The contortions needed to get a good block on me on the uppers doesn't deserve mention in an open publication.

So soupy, soppy stuff for food for the next couple of days ['coz I can barely open my mouth and I'm not supposed to chew anything], *lots* of OTC meds [my usual jaw cocktail - a naprosyn, two ibuprofen and an extra strength tylenol] and a well placed ice pack tonight. It does make it easier for tomorrow. I'm working in the kitchen for my Barony's Candlemas event tomorrow so no snacking on the goodie bits.

Bummer. :{