Dental drama – that wasn’t

I cracked a filling out of one of my bottom front teeth a couple weeks ago.

I was eating a ball of frozen cookie dough (homemade!) and I suppose one of the chocolate chips hit it at just the right angle to knock it out. Last time I broke a filling it was on a frozen Twix bar so you’d think I’d know better but some of us it seems are just doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.

This particular filling was a long skinny one on the side of my tooth. Not very deep at all. It didn’t hurt & was just mildly annoying because it was something for my tongue to worry at. But since I had some of my teeth filed a bit for the InvisaLine braces I had a couple years ago, my tongue had been worrying at those teeth anyway.

So the 2 week wait to see the dentist was no big deal. Even my usual dental terror didn’t bother to go into it’s usual overdrive 3 days before the event. I was feeling fairly certain there would be a minimum of drilling or just roughing up the area & then a new filling and done. Maybe 20 minutes. Probably $125.

I get there early, they take me fairly quickly, which is good because the waiting room is where the dental terror kicks in every time. They took a quick xray and left me to sit in the chair. And sit. And imagine all the ways they are going to hurt me. And remember all the ways dentists have hurt me in the past. I have sensitive teeth, just cleaning them with that whirling rubbery thing can send shocks up my nerves. And I can feel that pain right now just typing about it, so you can imagine what being in the chair does. I’m usually borderline hysterical and in tears when I need a root canal and often unable to open my mouth of involuntary fear response when I need a filling. 

Waiting is not good.

But I was able to talk myself down this time because really…I didn’t think it would be that bad. The shot would hurt but it’s the endless drilling that gets me and I just couldn’t see how there could be much necessary in this case.

Then at last the dentist came in. She looked at it and said.”Oh, all we need to do is dry out the space, rough it up and bit and refill it. No numbing needed”

and I said “AMEN!”

And then she said “That apparently was a more or less cosmetic filling and given your teeth line now really isn’t that noticeable. It’s not going to trap food and if it doesn’t bother you, you don’t actually need it done.”

and I said “HALLELUJAH!”

And the she said “Here is the sheet with the prices if you want it done.”

and I said “SWEET JESUS!”

$193 to get the tooth filled now. $78 for what had been done so far – a xray and talking to the doctor. $115 for the filling.  If I came back in the next 6 months they would only charge me the $115 total.

We have no dental insurance. Do any of the proposed universal coverage plans even mention dental? I have about $2500 of non critical but needed dental work hanging out there hoping someday I might have dental insurance that will cover at least some of it

and then I said “Well, I’ll be going now.”

Because it doesn’t hurt and it doesn’t bother me and it’s only noticeable if you look closely and if the tooth is not going to fall apart from decay without it,then, I’m good for now.