Masochists + Mouth = Fun! - by Sandy

 

This is me before dental surgery. 

So you know how people always complain about dentists and the pain associated with them, but go anyway for whatever reason?  I know, dentists are our friends, and the idea is we should take care of our teeth…blah blah blah…  But having recently joined the ranks of those who actually go to the dentist on a regular basis, I’m beginning to wonder if I was better off before I decided to become a regular health nut. 

I really didn’t go to the dentist for years, literally, until my Mexican cousins, who are dentists, started coming to the Valley and providing dental services at a fraction of the cost.   Before you start thinking we took advantage of their generosity, keep in mind I come from a typical Mexican family where cousins number in the 3 digits and the dollar is still worth more than the peso. I can’t remember what they did to me exactly, but I’m sure it helped.  That was about ten years ago, and then I stopped going again, until last year. 

I finally went so I could get my teeth cleaned and start a regular routine.  So why didn’t I go before considering I’m so vain?  Well, as a child we just didn’t have the money to go and as an adult I’ve been getting compliments for years on my smile and my teeth, so I never really thought about it.  In fact, one friend actually asked if my teeth looked so white because I was so dark - and she was being dead serious.  I’ll forgive her b/c she never had the pleasure of shoving her tongue down my throat to learn I actually brushed my teeth regularly, but I digress.  So when I was told I had receding gumlines that would leave my teeth unprotected, I put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

So…guess what I had done a few days ago?  An oral ‘procedure’ known as a gum graft.  This dental surgery apparently used to be very painful b/c it required a dentist to actually scrape off a piece of the gum on the roof of your mouth to attach to the receding gumline.  Sound painful?  It would’ve been if I would’ve felt it, I guess.  Luckily I got several shots to numb the pain!  Pain to numb the pain…no wonder people hate dentists.

So why did I do it?  Because apparently your gums aren’t just there to make you look pretty.  Their actual function is to protect your teeth and if your gumline starts receding you could ultimately lose your teeth!  Well, I bought that BS anyway, and now I’m out $2,000 bucks. 

You’ll tell me if I spent too much, won’t you?