Saturday, July 15, 2006

Adventures in Dentistry

I have always had a fear of the dentist. I think it's because I have such bad teeth, and ALWAYS have cavities when I go. I've had bad experiences with a couple of dentists that I had to go to, because of my insurance. One dentist filled a large cavity, and put metal next to a nerve in my tooth. Every time I drank something hot or cold, I felt this unpleasant "jangling" feeling. I then had to go to another dentist to remove that filling and put another one in.

I have nightmares about all of my teeth falling out on a regular basis. I take Valium to go for cleanings. The smell of the drill scares me, along with having my mouth open for a long time. I always feel like I am going to drown in my own saliva if I can't swallow ( I think that comes from my bad allergies and semi-permanent congestion). I am a weenie. Therefore, I pay for the better (if you can call it that) dental insurance that my district offers. The worse insurance allows you to choose from two ghetto dentists. I went to one of them once, and while I was in the chair, with all sorts of equipment sticking out of my mouth, someone was telling me how much it would cost me that day, and asking if I could afford it. I never went back. This past year, I got on the "better" dental insurance, which means you can choose which dentist to go to, but you have to pay in full for your treatments up front. They then reimburse you for whatever amount they feel like ( I think they spin a wheel), up to $1000 a year. I think I maxed it out this year, by already having a crown put in.

I had to go to a new dentist yesterday, because a filling that I had broke off. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much Thursday night. I forgot my Valium in my rush to dress my reluctant child and get him to my neighbor's house, but figured all they were going to do yesterday was replace that filling, so it shouldn't be too bad. Right. The dentist was great, and very patient with me, and listened to all of my concerns. However, they started by digging out the old filling, which didn't feel great, then let me know that I should have a crown put on that tooth. I had about six shots, and she hit a couple of sensitive spots when she was drilling, but it wasn't horrible. I get to go back in October and pay another $800 for my permanent crown. Lucky me.

I'm going to get on my husband's insurance in January. It covers a whole lot more, which means less up front. Of course, since my open enrollment doesn't match up with his, I get to pay my premiums until next September. I think it will be less than what I have to fork out in October, though.

OK, I REALLY need to start getting ready to go to a wedding, especially since I sent Darren and Zach to the grocery store...

1 comment:

  1. My sister starts convulsing when she hears the word "dentist". She has a REAL phobia!

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