Are You Flossing?

It was that time again - time for the dental hygiene check-up with the friendly neighbourhood dentist's office. Things started off awkwardly: I had the fun task of informing the dental team that has looked after my family's teeth for years that my husband is now my former husband, after having walked out on me six months ago. He didn't bother informing them of his new address so his dental check-up reminders are being left on my answering machine.

The dental visit itself was fine, despite the disappointment of not getting a prize from the treasure drawer even though I'm still a member of the "no cavity club". I was informed, however, that I should get a mouthguard to wear nightly to prevent the teeth-clenching that occurs in my sleep. In the last six months the recession and wear from teeth-clenching has increased. It's stress-related, the dentist reassured me. At least it got me off the hook for not flossing as much as I should!

The Tooth Fairy May Need to Write a Cheque

My daughter had dental surgery yesterday - six extractions performed under general anaesthesia - in preparation for orthodontic work. The poor kid has big teeth and a small jaw and the result is somewhat akin to a train wreck. At least she doesn't have to worry about having wisdom teeth extracted at an inconvenient time during her university education or early in her career when dental insurance doesn't cover much and she'd be responsible for footing the majority of the bill herself.

Things have changed since I had my wisdom teeth pulled. Back then, I was sent home with a prescription for painkillers and instructions to use a salt water rinse. That's it. Things have improved. Yesterday, the pharmacy delivered the prescriptions (no charge!) to the dental surgery so I didn't have to make an extra trip. (Loved that service - very nice!) There were three prescriptions: liquid Tylenol with codeine, liquid oral antibiotics, and an antibiotic rinse to be used in conjunction with salt water rinses. We were also sent home with a head sling: a soft stretchy fabric contraption that goes around the head from the chin to the top of the head, with an adjustable closure for a custom fit and pockets at the cheeks with gel ice packs for insertion in said pockets, plus extra ice packs to place in the freezer and alternate as needed. My daughter looked like she had a rag tied around her head, but what an effective device! It's nice to be able to ice the jaws without icing your fingers simultaneously. The dental surgeon himself telephoned our home in the early evening to check on the girl-child and answer any questions we might have. Wow. The guy charged us a small fortune (we'll wait and see what the insurance will cover) but his customer service is stellar.