I'm about to go to the dentist. I love that I can walk to her office. And it's a beautiful day. But I'm nervous, because I'm going to have her check a filling she replaced in one of my molars. I'd been having some sensitivity with it, so she replaced the filling that was at least 20 years old. There was some decay underneath it, and what it all boils down to is this: I might have to have a crown put on the tooth if this new filling doesn't "hold things together."
The dentist told me to wait 10 days for any sensitivity to subside. It's been two weeks, and the damn thing still aches. Allan said it might just be that I'm still biting hard on the composite, in which case a little filing and polishing will take care of it. But if that's not it...then I will need a crown.
For some reason that scares me. First, crowns are for old people. Right? Second, I've got another molar with an ancient filling, and it's a little sensitive, too. What if the same thing happens to that tooth?
Teeth are important to me. Hey, I wanted to be a dentist myself when I was a kid. So this kind of major procedure kind of scares me.
Okay, gotta go. Appointment is in 15 minutes.
UPDATE: Well, there's no sign of fracture, so next week the dentist is going to redo her work. Yay! Well, as yay! as having a filling done can be.
Not to worry, bridges and partials are for old people, not crowns. Besides, a crown is better than a root canal!
Posted by: Tiffany | May 09, 2007 at 14:45
Crowns are nothing! I've got two already and it was no biggie (I was "blessed" with weak teeth). But good luck at the dentist quand même.
And for some reason, this makes me think of your landlord back in France.
Posted by: samantha | May 09, 2007 at 15:23
I'm nervous to go to the dentist at the moment too; it's been a while, and I really don't want to hear that anything is wrong.
Posted by: sandra | May 09, 2007 at 16:10
You wanna talk dentistfear? Ask me how long it's been since I went to one. Promise not to tell Aalln. I hope the buff and polish does the trick for you, though!
Posted by: ptooey | May 09, 2007 at 17:07
As Allan will tell you I am petrified of the dentist. I was his student when he was in dental school and I had to take Elavil at each visit just to get by. I have crowns (oh, I am old, sort of).
Posted by: Jo Ann | May 09, 2007 at 17:10
Hey, I hear you about not wanting a crown! The same thing happened to me a couple of years ago, and I wasn't even 30 then! Imagine my face when the dentist told me that my old filling had to be replaced by... low and behold, a crown! I felt awful.
Oh yeah and I have another tooth on the other side in the same situation, with the old filling begging to be replaced. I'm almost too scared to have him take a look at it, in case history repeats itself!
Teeth are priceless Ali!
Posted by: sunshinecity | May 09, 2007 at 18:30
i LOOOOOOVE going to the dentist. love it. love it.
good luck with your crown etc. i am sure you will do well!!
i have ANCIENT fillings in molars, too. but i haven't had any probs, yet. i keep crossing my fingers and waiting for the day to come.
if so, think a platinum or white gold crown is me? ;)
Posted by: rebecca | May 09, 2007 at 18:32
:(
Posted by: jeorg | May 09, 2007 at 19:09
dude! you did NOT just say that crowns are for old people did you???? I have like 2 or 3 of them! old people! sheesh!
Posted by: barb | May 09, 2007 at 19:46
Many people I know have crowns! I'm glad that the visit went well. I was only scared of the dentist when I was younger, and it was my grandpa--who had a fit that I hadn't been flossing! I'm only sort of kidding.
Posted by: Margaret | May 09, 2007 at 20:19
Crowns are for old people?!?!?! I have FOUR of them, each of which was placed after a root canal. And none of the root canals hurt, either. Guess I'm just a (really old) badass. ;-)
Oh, and two of my crowns are porcelain, dyed the same color to match the rest of my teeth. The other two? Are gold. I am BIG PIMPIN', baby. Heh heh.
Posted by: Denise | May 09, 2007 at 20:35
Crowns aren't for old people, they're for pirates. My husband got a lovely white gold one a few months ago - they told him the metal ones hold up better. You're lucky you were spared, it cost the skin of the ass.
Posted by: Jessica | May 09, 2007 at 21:51
So I'm thinking we may have the same dentist...for now. I'm getting ready to change. My dentist has to redo a lot of her work (assistant's) work, too.
Posted by: token | May 10, 2007 at 12:12
I love my dentist, except the bill.
She is painless and quick. Does great work.
Good luck!
Posted by: Susan | May 10, 2007 at 21:27
Alison,
Old people wear dentures. Kings and Queens wear crowns. ;-)
rel
Posted by: rel | May 11, 2007 at 03:39
Hey Ali - s'good to see you are still doing this! It's been awhile....
What I wanted to say was thanks for attending the peace rally - those of us in the endangered rest of the world take much comfort from knowing that there are many americans who are not totally 'for' what the US gov is doing. It gives us hope.
And crowns -well, before I comment I must ask how old exactly is 'old' anyway?
The longer I live the more in favour of having them all replaced with false teeth I become - you do not want to be in the middle of the Namib desert with a lost crown, or worse a dodgy root canal treatment. Suicide starts to look like a really attractive solution right about then.
As clever as we are with all our modern dentistry technologies, they will inevitably fail at the singularly most inopportune time.
Keep well.
Posted by: geoffrey | May 11, 2007 at 06:26
Why do I love stories about teeth so much? Oh, the crown part...so funny.
Posted by: Mist 1 | May 14, 2007 at 21:15