It was my turn in the dental chair today. The dental hygienist,
Jenna, has a light touch. My teeth feel great. The dentist came in, looked over
my mouth and declared me in fine teeth health and said he would see me next
spring. Works for me!
My prior dentist was someone I went to even though the cleanings
and exams felt like torture. I do not suffer from dental phobia as some members
of my family do, but with that dentist I dreaded visits for a different reason.
Every visit in the first 2 years was trying to upsell me on a service. Finally,
I found the courage to tell the dentist to stop. For the next six years it
would be, “Are you ready to replace those old fillings, yet?” And every time I’d
respond, “They are not bothering me.”
I felt relief during today’s visit when this recommendation
did not come up. I walked out of this visit feeling immensely pleased that
these old teeth are serving me well. Both my parents and several of their siblings
had gum disease. I put it down to a lack of available dental care. I take for
granted that I have had some kind of dental insurance since I was twenty-one
years old.
Growing up, I only recall two or three dental visits. In a
family of seven, with no dental insurance, dental work was not in the budget.
My sister got braces because it was medically necessary. She had extra teeth
growing in the roof of her mouth that needed to be pulled and then braces
installed to help the rest of her teeth align properly. If my younger brothers
had braces, I don’t remember hearing about it as I left home at eighteen and
moved to California.
Last night I enjoyed a visit with my niece, Renee, we talked
virtually for over an hour. That was such a treat.
This afternoon, Charlotte came downstairs looking for me.
This is a first. I was in the bedroom resting my hip. I heard Joe tell her. It’s
okay if you go in to talk to her – she’ll be happy to see you. She shyly made
her way to the side of the bed and proceeded to share that she had been
drawing. She described in detail how she drew a stick figure. We discussed that
for a bit and then we came out to the table and Pan did tricks for treats.
Caleb joined us. Now the kids are playing hide and seek in our flat.
These are the moments I will miss after we move into our own
place.
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