When I woke up this morning, the pain in my tooth had subsided. However, my gums were sore and my cheek was swollen. I looked like John McCain. The dentist said this was an abscess.
She did an X-Ray and determined, well, I'm not quite sure what she determined. She pointed to an area at the root of my hurt tooth and said "You see this area here, how it's a little darker than the surrounding tissue?" I said I saw it, but I didn't see it. Just kind of nodded my head. Something was then said about four options. She described them all, the last one being just to have the tooth removed. I told her to explain the first three in greater detail. I really didn't understand all of them, but in the midst of the lingo I figured out that she was telling me she couldn't help me, that I'll have to see what is known as an endodontist, and surgery will probably be involved.
Great.
I did have one myster solved, however. As I was leaving I became the curious student. "Oh, yeah, there's one thing I've been wanting to know for years..." I told her that I've been hearing people talk about these things called "wisdom teeth" all my life, and no description of their arrival has ever been pleasant. I've always wondered when mine would come in. So she sat me back in and looked in my mouth. She told me I had them, and that they were in the very back. "Oh, that's my wisdom teeth? Interesting. I've been waiting my whole life for them to come in, and there they've been all along." I've had those teeth since very early on. I can't even remember them coming in.
She told me my head was big enough to handle them, so there was no problem with their growth.
Sounds about right.
5 comments:
When I was a teenager and had a mouthful of braces, my orthodontist told me my teeth were crooken because I had such a small dainty mouth. I think this is a stupid thing to tell someone. It doesn't make sense: your teeth are jacked because your face is dainty. Pshaw.
I had only two wisdom teeth. Must imply some sort of lack of smarts.
crooked*
bThe endodonist in Waco is really nice. I had to see him once in all of the mess with my teeth. I think you should be in good hands.
my dentist never called my mouth dainty. just small. also attributed my very crowded teeth to the size of my mouth, and the fact that all four of my wisdom teeth grew in seemed almost a miracle to him. He wants them for his collection, though. I"m not sure I want to suffer through that!
abscess + surgery = pain...good luck!
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