Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Pregnancy and braces? Seriously.


So I went in for my semi-annual dental cleaning and was quite proud when they said I only had one little cavity! I was relieved because I hadn't been as diligent with my scheduled cleanings since having kids...3 years ago! The relief on my face stunned the dentist. He then said I needed braces in order for them to get to the cavity. Yeah right. Well, I have two teeth that didn't bother coming in until my senior year in college and neither have decended completely. Of course the cavity is in one of those teeth ABOVE THE GUMLINE! Seriously! Have you ever heard of such a thing? Needless to say, a second opinion was scheduled for the next day across town.
The second dentist was much older and made me feel a little more comfortable. Maybe she could get to it! Maybe job experience is what's needed to get at my little cavity - WHICH BY THE WAY, runs us $30 to fill. Well, the older and more wiser dentist nearly had a heart attack when she found the cavity. Turns out, this cavity isn't simply above the gumline, but it's so deep that it's nearly gotten to the root which now turns this whole thing into a type of dental emergency because I could lose the tooth. If it had been a molar - no problem...root canal and crown away! But this just so happens to be my canine....front and center! Final word from this dentist was BRACES. Oh my. So the following week was the consult with an orthodontist. We were hoping (at the request of the older & wiser dentist) that they could just throw on a few brackets to bring the one tooth down. That sounded great to me! Awkward looking but great on the checking account! No dice. We need FULL BRACES for at least 18 months. They hope the canine will be in far enough in 6 months to get to the cavity. I pray that's they case because heaven forbid I lose the tooth anyway. So now we're full steam ahead. Braces are on. I'm thirty years old, married (thankfully and happily) with two gorgeous little ones and one on the way. No ibuprofen for this girl! Just awkward looking :)
The moral of the story is this: Damien and I have been through so many crazy financial crisis in our short four years of marriage that this became quite comical. The story isn't that I'm pregnant with braces. The STORY is that my $30 cavity is now running a $4, 800 deficit! This is par for the course folks :) And no ibuprofen to boot! hahahaha!

2 comments:

Nichole said...

Ouch! way to be a trooper.

Nonni said...

Oh, Steph. Man...remind me not to go to the dentist! ;)