The next chapter in my teeth saga continued this morning when I had an appointment with another specialist for an evaluation. The oral surgeon I saw this a.m. was the same man who extracted Justin's wisdom teeth back when we lived in the lake house. Because that went flawlessly, I figured this appointment would as well.
I had several forms to complete before being seen by the dentist/surgeon. As I was seated at a table and filling them out, an assistant summoned me to follow her. I gathered up the clipboard and my belongings with me to see what was next. She told me to take off my jewelry including my necklace (oh no, not that necklace again!!). I asked her to help get the necklace off and she was rather abrupt about asking how it came off. I don't know because I can't see the clasp. The only other time I've had it off was when my beauty marks were removed and the dental assistant, Yvonne, got it off using her fine instruments. Well, this lady got the necklace off and had me stand at a machine which reminded me of a mammogram machine.
She said to lower my chin, turn my head, hold the handles, not move, bite down on this thing, and so on. When she was done she told me to go back to finish my paperwork and she'd call me when he was ready. I got situated again and filled out more pages before she called me to come back. Once more I had to stand at the machine and repeat the procedure. I asked her if I'd moved or something and she was abrupt in saying it was too dark. Okay, I stood still, tilted or not tilted, chin lower and higher, everything she said to do. And then I was free to go back to my business.
When she summoned me the 3rd time she was most apologetic, saying she couldn't get the light right on the panoramic x-ray. She was getting unwelcome advice from a co-worker on how to do the x-ray and I could sense tension in the air over this. I didn't need any more tension, ladies!! She finally got it the 5th time, after she'd help me get the necklace off (I put it on when I finished my paperwork). The assistants and techs stood out of the way during the x-ray but I stood there for 5 views...
At last I was in the chair and the doctor came in to introduce himself. He looked over the paperwork Dr. Lessig had sent over and showed me with a mirror which tooth he was extracting and which were staying. I mentioned that the other specialist had suggested having bone added to the area but this guy said there was no reason for such a treatment. This made me feel much better because it was less serious than I'd been made to feel. With happy gas and Novocaine I should be good to go, seeing Dr. Lessig first to separate the teeth from the attached bridge. Good-bye to my expensive-at-the-time bridge which I got after breaking the tooth on a brownie at Packer tailgate event when I still lived in WI...that's a long time ago!!!
Next Tuesday I go to Dr. Lessig's office first and after she's separated the teeth, I go directly to the oral surgeon to have the back tooth removed. I just wish I knew what was going on with these teeth, why this long time dead tooth is causing a problem, swelling, for no good reason. No obvious break, no apparent leak in the crown, nothing even a microscope could pick up. This is not unlike my top front teeth from last winter to early this year, ending up having to extract the newly repaired tooth and crown. Ugh, enough already! But, I rejoice the cost is going to be less than I anticipated which is good news.
