My Teef Redux
Back in February, I discussed the irritant that is my mouth, and my efforts to solve said problem. However, since I'm unemployed, I can't just run to any dentist. A lot of doctors and dentists aren't accepting Medi-Cal/Medicaid patients anymore. On top of that, I'm unfamiliar with who is a good dentist around here. Finally, while I'd prefer to see my dentist of 20+ years, I don't have the money to travel 400 miles just to get my teeth fixed. So I visited UCLA's dental clinic.
The upside of this is that UCLA is generally well-known as a good med school, and the dental program is no exception. It's also fairly close to where we live, so getting there isn't a problem. It's also affordable for someone like me, since the program charges less due to its status as a teaching institution.
The downside, of course, is that since it's a teaching institution, I have student dentists poking and probing about. The sessions take longer-- a bloc of three hours each visit, so as to allow the student time to conduct the entire exam/cleaning/operation/whatever. There's also the issue of interpreting: ten days' notice must be given in advance for scheduling, so I can't just wander in whenever. I first visited in February, and as of right now, I won't be finished til August. Fortunately, whatever was causing the pain in my tooth went away, but I still want it looked at.
Today was my second official visit, and the first one in which I'd actually be attended to by my student dentist. I had two dental students doing an initial examination today, and for the most part, they went tooth-and-comb over the forms I had filled out way back in February. An examination of my teeth was done again, and the verdict so far is that it isn't so much the fillings that are causing me problems, but gum recession.
Goodbye youth, hellllloooo adulthood. As we get older, our gums become increasingly prone to recession, and some people are more prone than others (read: your humble bloggist). But in the course of having my teeth and gums poked, prodded, and exposed, it was also revealed that it would be a good time to replace one or two fillings. There's also discussion of sealants, varnishes (what a little sandpaper, stripping, and a finish won't do), and possibly even a graft (*sigh*).
The two students were charming, and I kept the mood light when I could (i.e. making lame jokes and bad puns after every other question, and keeping the dental students and the interpreter in stitches as much as possible), but in the end, we set up our schedule and confirmed the rest of the appointments over the summer. I'll be back in a couple weeks. Luckily for me though, this was the last morning session, and the rest will be afternoon appointments. My teeth may not care what time it is, but I don't do mornings.
The upside of this is that UCLA is generally well-known as a good med school, and the dental program is no exception. It's also fairly close to where we live, so getting there isn't a problem. It's also affordable for someone like me, since the program charges less due to its status as a teaching institution.
The downside, of course, is that since it's a teaching institution, I have student dentists poking and probing about. The sessions take longer-- a bloc of three hours each visit, so as to allow the student time to conduct the entire exam/cleaning/operation/whatever. There's also the issue of interpreting: ten days' notice must be given in advance for scheduling, so I can't just wander in whenever. I first visited in February, and as of right now, I won't be finished til August. Fortunately, whatever was causing the pain in my tooth went away, but I still want it looked at.
Today was my second official visit, and the first one in which I'd actually be attended to by my student dentist. I had two dental students doing an initial examination today, and for the most part, they went tooth-and-comb over the forms I had filled out way back in February. An examination of my teeth was done again, and the verdict so far is that it isn't so much the fillings that are causing me problems, but gum recession.
Goodbye youth, hellllloooo adulthood. As we get older, our gums become increasingly prone to recession, and some people are more prone than others (read: your humble bloggist). But in the course of having my teeth and gums poked, prodded, and exposed, it was also revealed that it would be a good time to replace one or two fillings. There's also discussion of sealants, varnishes (what a little sandpaper, stripping, and a finish won't do), and possibly even a graft (*sigh*).
The two students were charming, and I kept the mood light when I could (i.e. making lame jokes and bad puns after every other question, and keeping the dental students and the interpreter in stitches as much as possible), but in the end, we set up our schedule and confirmed the rest of the appointments over the summer. I'll be back in a couple weeks. Luckily for me though, this was the last morning session, and the rest will be afternoon appointments. My teeth may not care what time it is, but I don't do mornings.
posted by Mr. Sandman | 2:31 PM
<< Home