Open Wide
I hate going to the dentist. It is a blessedly short and painless trip for me these days what with my every 6 month cleanings and the creation of Glide tooth floss. But I hate laying there tipped back with a light shining in my face and my mouth open with hands and metal things in it. So there I was with my eyes closed with hands in my mouth when the dental assistant popped her head in and chirped, "Your son's 6 year molars are in and Lance wants to put sealants on them, ok?"
My eyes opened and I turned my head to look at the dental assistant. The woman working on me took her hands out of my mouth.
"He wants to what?"
"Put sealants. On his molars. OK?"
"I don't know. I mean, my girls didn't get those. I don't understand what they are."
The less chirpy assistant, the one I like, said, "Let me finish her up and then she can go talk to Lance."
A few minutes later I was sitting in the exam room with my son and the dentist. He explained sealants, described the procedure to me and to Frank, answered my questions, told me that it was the best time to do it since his teeth were cavity free and had just been cleaned. Oh. And insurance paid for it. I love dental insurance and having a family dentist who knows us and being able to afford good dental care.
"Your fillings are probably more sealant than fillings," the dentist said.
"What do you mean?"
He picked my xrays up off the counter and held them up. "They're all on the molars," he pointed out. "See how they're symetrical and fill the molar?" I nodded. "This was pretty common before sealants - it helped with decay. You probably had a cavity and your dentist filled the cavity and then filled the rest of the crevice of the molar to prevent more cavities. I would guess 1978-79?" I looked at him incredulously and nodded. He grinned.
"He thinks he's a dental sleuth," said his assistant.
I sat at the foot of the chair with my hand on Frank's foot. The dentist showed me the molars and explained the procedure as he did it. It took about ten minutes.
I noticed that Frank kept his eyes on Lance while he was in the dental chair.
"All done," Lance said.
"That was way better than a filling," said Frank as he hopped out of the chair.
"You know, your silver cavities are going to fail someday," Lance said as he put away our xrays. We'll see what we've got once we get the first one out, but we'll replace them with white fillings."
I tried to picture my mouth without the silver fillings in my molars that have been there almost 30 years now.
"That's longer than they usually last," Lance said.
Even though I hate going to the dentist, I have had some pretty good dentists. This one is my favorite though.
I still don't like going.
My eyes opened and I turned my head to look at the dental assistant. The woman working on me took her hands out of my mouth.
"He wants to what?"
"Put sealants. On his molars. OK?"
"I don't know. I mean, my girls didn't get those. I don't understand what they are."
The less chirpy assistant, the one I like, said, "Let me finish her up and then she can go talk to Lance."
A few minutes later I was sitting in the exam room with my son and the dentist. He explained sealants, described the procedure to me and to Frank, answered my questions, told me that it was the best time to do it since his teeth were cavity free and had just been cleaned. Oh. And insurance paid for it. I love dental insurance and having a family dentist who knows us and being able to afford good dental care.
"Your fillings are probably more sealant than fillings," the dentist said.
"What do you mean?"
He picked my xrays up off the counter and held them up. "They're all on the molars," he pointed out. "See how they're symetrical and fill the molar?" I nodded. "This was pretty common before sealants - it helped with decay. You probably had a cavity and your dentist filled the cavity and then filled the rest of the crevice of the molar to prevent more cavities. I would guess 1978-79?" I looked at him incredulously and nodded. He grinned.
"He thinks he's a dental sleuth," said his assistant.
I sat at the foot of the chair with my hand on Frank's foot. The dentist showed me the molars and explained the procedure as he did it. It took about ten minutes.
I noticed that Frank kept his eyes on Lance while he was in the dental chair.
"All done," Lance said.
"That was way better than a filling," said Frank as he hopped out of the chair.
"You know, your silver cavities are going to fail someday," Lance said as he put away our xrays. We'll see what we've got once we get the first one out, but we'll replace them with white fillings."
I tried to picture my mouth without the silver fillings in my molars that have been there almost 30 years now.
"That's longer than they usually last," Lance said.
Even though I hate going to the dentist, I have had some pretty good dentists. This one is my favorite though.
I still don't like going.
posted by Lea at 11:21 AM
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