Teeth

I stopped in to the local medical center to pick up a prescription for the Scientist and decided it might be good to make a dental appointment. I think it’s probably been a year and a half since I was last there but I have simply procrastinated about it. I had a lecture about getting regular dental care when I was in the immunology clinic last month and I’ve even had some problems with a couple of teeth where food was getting stuck and causing pain. Anyway, it turned out there had been a late cancellation so I was offered an appointment within half an hour and took it.

I never used to mind getting my teeth cleaned. But the newer equipment always hurts and sometimes causes pain. I survived that ordeal and had x-rays done before the dentist came in. The good news is I had no new cavities and the calculus build-up was limited to the areas between my teeth. The bad news was that two of my fillings have decayed and will have to be replaced. This is exactly where I’ve had trouble with my teeth. Apparently it’s partially caused by my Sjögren’s syndrome because I sometimes don’t have enough saliva. Not sure exactly how that works. He has also recommended that I get amalgam fillings because they don’t decay so easily. I’m almost certain the current fillings have only been in less than five years…possibly less. I go back in two weeks to spend an hour in the chair having that fun. I must admit it will be good to be able to return to once-a-day flossing once this is done.