oral surgery

After going to the dentist for some well needed dental work, I knew it would be a long road ahead to get my mouth back into shape. To my surprise after the examination, I found out that my mouth was not as bad as I thought it was. I will need a few crowns, a few fillings and in the end, a small plate on the uppers to replace three missing teeth. I got lucky as last year, I decided to go with the better of two dental plans my company offers for dental insurance. It is only a few dollars more per paycheck and it has already paid off. Before anything else can be done, I needed to get three teeth extracted by an oral surgeon. No problem. Been there, done that before. The appointment was set up and I bravely went in confident and with a smile on my face. I sat down in the chair and this nice lady got me all ready for the doc. I was wearing a shirt with a Car Tech logo on it and the lady asked me what department do I work there. I said the melting department. She then told me that her husband worked in the same department and retired from there as a furnace operator. Once she told me his name, I told her I knew him and asked how he was doing. She said he now works for the PA Liquor Control Board (meaning in the stores that sell booze) and commented that he is now working in his "element" and gave me these rolling eyes...lol. I laughed and commented how it is nice to know someone who knows a bit about anesthesia, in whatever form people can find it.

She got me all prepped and soon the doc came in, I opted to stay awake for a bunch of reasons. First, I drove there alone and had nobody to drive me home. Second was the expense. It's a lot cheaper to tough it out and stay awake. Third, when you are asleep, I'm sure they put all kinds of clamps and medieval devices into play to hold your mouth open and I'm sure they are a lot rougher since you can't feel or see anything. The end result is once you end up awake and the anesthesia wears off, you will be a lot sorer in the end.

The doc gave me the standard Novocaine and let me sit there for about ten minutes. It took few minutes for my jaw to feel like they were in la-la land and he soon returned. That is when he told me that each tooth would have to be removed in pieces and would have to break them apart to remove them. I figured that in the first place and was ready to go. He said he would begin with the two teeth on the top which were side by side. He poked at them with something to loosen them and then pulled out this device that looked like a Dremmel tool with a big round bit on the end. I guess he had to make an opening so he could fit his pliers inside to get a grip. When he put this drill into my mouth, he said i will feel some vibration. He turned it on and at first it didn't feel so bad, but soon I could feel my whole head vibrating. It was actually blurring my vision. He had to use it with all three teeth. It was painless, but a sensation that can't be described. Then he got out a pliers and said that I will hear some crunching and breaking and not to worry. I watched him pull out one tooth in about three pieces, snap, crackle. pop. Same with then next. All was going fine, but so gross. All the while the nice new assistant (not the one who prepped me) was saying to me how well I was doing and giving me words of encouragement, as she had the suction device making that sloshing and sucking sound, knowing everything she was sucking out was blood....yuck. The price you pay if you stay awake...lol. Once the uppers were done, I had to get one out on the bottom on the other side. same procedure. As all his was going on, the doc walked me through each step, telling me things like, "Now you may hear a breaking sound." or "You may feel a crunching feeling." So encouraging...lol. He was right. Even though your mouth is numb and you feel no pain, you still feel the sensation of the teeth being broken and you can see the doc removing everything piece by piece. The assistant kept telling me that I was doing fine and was giving me a lot of encouragement step by step. I expected all of this and none was a total surprise, but just wanted to get it over with and get out of there. Soon it was all over and I was told I did fine and everything will be all right. I got the usual post operative instructions and went home feeling pretty good.

When I got home, Koby (my neighbor's son) and two of his friends saw me. They saw my cheeks puffed up with my mouth full of gauze and Koby asked me what happened? I mumbled in a muffled lisp voice, "I justhted got three teeth remoothed and whatether any one ever taught you about thaking care of your teeth, you bether lithen to them". By my voice, they just looked at me sort of weird and I kept walking.

But in the end, I'm so glad I got it done. In the past months before I got my teeth out, I had so much discomfort after eating and in just two weeks I can eat without all that discomfort and it is all gone. Feels so good. Now that is all gone, but still have to get a few fillings, a few crowns and an upper plate to fill in the lost teeth, I will be as good as new. The upper plate will be of a thin design, not like in the days of my parents and I was told that once I get used to it, it will feel like not having it there.

What I want to say to all of you, dental hygiene is important. It is just not your mouth that is affected, but problems with teeth can and do affect the rest of your body. I know a guy I work with who had an abscess and he ended up getting a valve replaced in his heart many years ago. On my last visit to the dentist, the hygienist told me whenever you brush your teeth and see blood, it is a sign of a bacterial affection. I heard a lot of horror stories this past summer about how one's teeth can cause a lot of health problems later down the road and this is why I began taking it serious. What is that old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?

Nobody likes going to the dentist, but I remember going to good old Dr. Roland with a toothache way back in the early 1990's. He came into the room as was sitting in the dentist chair and remembering me as an old patient, he looked at his assistant and said with a big smile and his usual loud voice, "They always come back eventually." He was right. I will always remember that statement.

All of you, take care of those pearly whites and they will take care of you.