Teeth so clean, you could eat off 'em!

It seems that a lot of people I know in person and via the Great Lileks's site have been visiting the dentist all at once, and probably not a coincidence. Dentists' offices, like most other businesses, had to shut down or severely limit patients for a while thanks to the Chinese Death Virus, and are just now getting caught up. As I write this, it is late Monday morning and I am leaving for my own checkup in a couple of hours. 

Current status: Worried; bug bite on ankle that will drive me nuts during the appointment; flossed recently; no dental insurance whatever.

The thing is, I am sure I have a cavity on the side of one tooth. When I was at the dental mill last year they warned me about this but wanted to take a wait-and-see approach. Well, I waited, and now I am about 100% sure it's a cavity (or caries, as the dentists insist on calling them). So I called this new dentist, a fellow in private practice, and had to wait over a month for this appointment. I guarantee the hole did not get better in this time. It may in fact have company.

I don't know if he will get out the drill and go for it today, or schedule me for a follow-up some time around Christmas. I also worry that I will not like this guy, because he came recommended by a friend and it will be awkward if I think he stinks. That's happened before. 

We now pause for a comical old piece of clip art, and I will report further beneath it. If I survive.

So here's the update:

My appointment actually was for tooth-hurty (2:30 har har har). My old dentist, whom I liked, was never safe to visit after lunch because he always had Chinese food and his own garlic breath could blunt the instruments. But no, this fellow was scentless and very good. Big-time COVID protocols, but I don't mind. As long as I didn't have to wear a mask during the exam (har har some more). 

I got off light. The cavity I worried about was not so bad. On the other hand, to fix it will probably require a crown. But we'll check again next year. Not needed now. Hooray! 

He did an old-fashioned cleaning all by himself -- that is, rather than blow the tartar off with a water jet, he used the little pick. My mouth was like that mine the Seven Dwarves worked in, without all the big pre-cut diamonds. Some people hate that kind of cleaning, but it makes me feel like the choppers are as immaculate as Queen Elizabeth's silverware. Of course, sometimes it makes me feel like I deserve an "I Gave Blood" sticker, but not so bad today. I did get the caution that more flossing will be appropriate to avoid gum disease, however. 

On the whole, for a dental appointment at tooth-hurty with an unknown dentist on a Monday near Halloween in 2020, I'm going to say it was as good as it could be. Drop that one in the gratitude box, and on to the next thing. 

P.S.: There was an incident this same afternoon regarding a fire alarm, a crazed dog, a business crisis, and a mad dash down a busy highway, but I may save that for another time. Right now I'm still enjoying my close escape from drilling.