The Dental Assessment

Good thing I brought a book to read! Though my appointment was for 10 am, I did not get called until almost 11am! The place was packed, swarming with everyone and their brother, those with kids, those with parents, those with emergencies, those with handicaps, those from other countries. A regular teeming metropolis.

I stepped through the annual hoops of x-rays (as if I need any more radiation) and poking and prodding. The dentist is a new student. She takes her time, is thorough. That won't last, but I appreciate it. She writes stuff down, a small furrow creasing her brow. I try to read her face. It looks serious. I wait patiently until she is done with the examination. Then she takes her notes and my x-rays and heads out to consult with her instructor.

Twenty minutes later she returns and sits next to me to tell me the good news - no cavities! Yeah! Then the bad news. The muscles in my mouth are all atrophied and not holding things properly in place. She and her instructor reviewed my treatment record, and they agree that just like the other muscles in my body, the ones in my mouth are being affected by the radiation treatment.

There is no intervention possible. I will have to wait it out. But the likelihood of losing more teeth is real. And the teeth I still have are shifting about freely and unpredictably. That could be problematic. They are very concerned about my jaw bone. As teeth are pulled, there is risk that the bone will become infected. And if the cancer spreads to the jawbone, there are other considerations. . .

I have a tooth that is so out of alignment that they have to file it down today because it is in danger of fracturing by hitting the tooth above it. She takes care of it. Bleh. My mouth tastes gritty. She is planning to find out whether my insurance will cover getting partial plates which might be the best solution at this point, especially if I lose any more teeth.

I make my next two appointments and gather up my belongings to head out at last, well past a reasonable time to have spent there. I am discouraged but not undone. After all, I pretty much already knew what she confirmed. It's not the end of the world. And as my Mother reminded me, once I get dentures, I won't have any more aching teeth!