Dentist

Going to the dentist is not usually a big deal for me. I brush twice daily and floss regularly, suffer through some plaque buildup on my lower teeth, and get them cleaned twice annually. I've never had a cavity, though I have had two oral surgeries to correct a few unfortunate genetic deficiencies. Imagine my surprise, then, when I was greeted by the hygenist tonight with, "Have you had your wisdom teeth pulled yet?"

"Erm, no," I replied. My wisdom teeth haven't come in and haven't made their presence known in any way. "I don't have any wisdom teeth. I'm hoping that I never have any problems with them."

"I told you last time that you're going to need to get your wisdom teeth pulled."

I was, to say the least, confused. "I don't remember that."

"Yeah, they're impacted. They won't come in, but they will cause problems."

"Problems, huh? Like, coming out the side of my head problems?" By this time she had shown me x-rays that had been (apparently) taken last time I was there that clearly displayed molar-type teeth sideways within my gums.

"Yeah, bad problems. I'd recommend getting them pulled soon."

So my night was pretty much ruined. Sure, the dentist himself told me that there's no hurry, and I could even wait until next summer if I wanted, but I've been condemned to going under the knife for a third time. What a bummer.

June 20, 2002 - 10:56 PM