Go to the dentist

I’ve got 4 fillings (re-)done, and on wednesday, the dentist extracted both my upper wisdom teeth.
It was traumatising. I felt the shots in my upper palate, and a little tear rolled down my rosy cheek. By the time the man loosened and pulled the teeth, I was so terrified that I nearly freaked out. Afterwards, I suddenly felt terribly cold and with them white cotton ball thingies stuck in the corners of my mouth, I went home. I could not open my mouth for an hour to keep the pressure applied to the wounds. My bf asked straight away if I was OK, I looked so pale. I felt violated. The teeth were handed to me in a paper bag which I unpacked at home. I gave them a little wash, and after examining two perfectly healthy teeth with roots turning at a 90 degree angle, I tossed them out, disgusted.
Now, two days later, the holes in my mouth are healing alright (luckily, the mouth tissue heals the quickest).
But I am glad that this was it for this year.

When I was young and just a bad little kid,
My momma noticed funny things I did.
Like shootin’ puppies with a BB-Gun.
I’d poison guppies, and when I was done,
I’d find a pussy-cat and bash in it’s head.
That’s when my momma said…
(What did she say?)
She said my boy I think someday
You’ll find a way
To make your natural tendencies pay…

You’ll be a dentist.
You have a talent for causing things pain!
Son, be a dentist.
People will pay you to be inhumane!

You’re temperment’s wrong for the priesthood,
And teaching would suit you still less.
Son, be a dentist.
You’ll be a success.

“Here he is folks, the leader of the plaque.”
“Watch him suck up that gas. Oh My God!”
“He’s a dentist and he’ll never ever be any good.”
“Who wants their teeth done by the Marqui DeSade?”

“Oh, that hurts! Wait! I’m not numb!”
“Eh, Shut Up! Open Wide! Here I Come!”

I am your dentist.
And I enjoy the career that I picked.
I’m your dentist.
And I get off on the pain I inflict!

I thrill when I drill a bicuspid.
It’s swell, though then tell me I’m mal-adjusted.

And though it may cause my patients distress.
Somewhere…Somewhere in heaven above me…
I know…I know that my momma’s proud of me.
“Oh, Momma…”

‘Cause I’m a dentist…
And a success!

“Say ahh…”
“Say AHhhh…”
“Say AAARRRHHHH!!!”
“Now Spit!”

Aaaaaargh. Why?
Because: I was meant to get my upper wisdom teeth extracted today. The doctor wrote me a little note, stating that I should be there at 14:30. Why? Because I already missed an appointment with him 3 weeks ago. For some unknown reason, I registered 15:30 in my little confused (and scared) head, and so at 14:40, I get a call from my bf, who told me the dentist is looking for me, I haven’t showed up on time.
That’s two strikes.
I wonder if he’ll pay me back for standing him up twice by lowering the sedation dose next week (new appointment).
Dentists must be sadistic by definition…

First session has taken place.
Anamnesis:
Holes, plaque of ten years (aaaargh), bleeding gums and wisdom teeth have to be taken out. Next appointment: a week from today.
The dentist is a very friendly guy, and the dentist’s chair is facing a very pretty garden. If you know me, you know that that’s a plus. I am not looking forward to the procedures, but it feels as if things are getting done, to use Paul Teutle Sr.’s idiom.

I’ve never been afraid of the dentist, in fact, my first dentist got bitten by me a few times before he could pull that tooth he was after, but now… I am kinda scared. Oh well.

I changed dentists today. The first one was going to do 11 x-rays before even starting to work on my teeth. My health insurance pays for 75% for only 4 x-rays per year.
So I’d have had to pay 7 X 13.60 Euro to begin with.
What a jip!
So after ringing them again and asking if they always take 11 x-rays and if they were really needed (I didn’t plan on having my brains cooked…) they said they do it with every new patient.
My insurance was saying that that was a rip-off, too, and now I have a new dentist, closer to home, cheaper and doing only medically necessary x-rays, after confirming that I rerally want them done.
And the new appointment is even earlier. So I’ll go Monday at 12:30 EST.
Zanna-C, gabriela-o and Green-b, you were SO right!!!

Since I have made the appointment, I can suddenly “feel” my teeth! I can tell they need attention. This wasn’t the case a week ago, I swear!!!
Incidentally, bf and I received the invites for our first appointment, and including the x-ray, the INTAKE is going to cost 250 Euro! I have to look into our insurance policy. I have a vague recollection we signed up with 75% coverage. But does this include the first visit? I sure hope so.

So I’ll go on 18-09-06 at stupid o’clock (Yawn!).
This will be for a first assessment, and afterwards we’ll discuss what of the things that need to be done is going to cost me an arm and a leg.

Yesterday, I signed up bf and me with the new dentist. Now all I need is an appointment. Yay me! On the downside, after filling in the sign-up form that I had no complaints at the mo, I found a hole in my tooth. But that’s just normal after neglecting my teeth for so long. I dare not think of the costs…

I have found a dentist on a webpage for expats in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, they have their vacation period at the moment, so the practice is closed, but I can and will ring them August 21st to become a patient and set a date for the big day when I’ll hear a voice say, “Relax, open wide”...