The State of the Nea

[neadods]

So. Life's been... busy. And a bit stressful.

I cracked (somewhat literally) at the beginning of March and saw a dentist for the first time in 15+ years. Said dentist then promptly did her best to railroad me into letting her replace every single filling in my mouth, and did go completely batshit with the drill. I asked her to deal with the sensitive tooth and the one right in front of it. She actually SAID, afterwards, that since I was already numb, and had insurance, and all the metal fillings "had" to go, she was doing me a favor by putting new fillings on all the teeth in that quadrant. This would be drilling two teeth without permission folks. And when I walked out, shaking, her receptionist handed me a rate sheet for *all* of the other ones and tried to pressure me to make the appointment for the next round.

Thing is... I had a filling on the other side that was crumbling, literally leaving a sharp edge in my mouth. So I had to do *something* about it. But the closer the appointment came, the more I realized that knowing I would survive having all the fillings done in that area... and that she was guaranteed to do all the fillings in that area no matter what I said... was a piss-poor reason to put myself through all that trauma. (And pay for the privilege; insurance doesn't cover everything.)

Yesterday was the drilling day. And I must say, the BRAND NEW dentist I went to see in a completely different practice, was fabulous. She cracked jokes. She set the chair to "massage." (Seriously!) She did ONLY the one tooth and she talked me all the way through every single step. MAF Dental in Laurel; two slightly quivering thumbs up.

Dr. Feebus even wrote me a prescription for valium, which I kind of wish I'd had the chance to take. But right before the drilling, I had an interview for a new contract. And it wouldn't go too well if I went stoned, alas! (I'm a contract worker, which is a bit like a glorified temp worker - other companies hire my company, which sends me out anywhere that needs a technical writer.)

I've been off contract for 3 months, which is bad in this economy. To be useful to my company, I've been working in the proposal department, which is bad for me, TBH. I don't like high-pressure work and we're in the home stretch, which revs the pressure up to 11.

BUT! Drilling without valium was ultimately worth it; I start my new contract on the 16th! And then life will hopefully settle back down to abnormal.

Comments

[shawan-7.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it came through. So the sharp edge is gone?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Yes. I was so used to poking it with my tongue that it feels odd all smoothed down.

I also let them take an impression for a mouth guard.

[redpanda13.livejournal.com]

Smoothing down a rough edge is called "floating the tooth" when it's done to a horse. From the confused look on my dentist's face when I asked him to float one of my teeth, I guess human dentists use another term....

Glad everything went well this time; I was on the verge of asking. And congratulations on the new contract!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

He probably imagined the tooth floating away!

The new dentist is a very good one. Pity I had to encounter the old dentist first!

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

Double yay! I'm so glad both the dentist and the interview went excellently. Congratulations!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Such a relief, as you can imagine!

[ziggychaos.livejournal.com]

I hear ya about dentists! The last one I went to kept insisting on taking out my old fillings and replacing them with crowns! Even with insurance, each crown will cost me out-of-pocket a good $800.00. And my insurance has a yearly cap, so I'd be paying out even more if I had let him do everything he insists "has to be done now."

Last year, just after putting a crown on a tooth that broke, he says, "You may need a root canal on that tooth." WTF? Why didn't you do it before cementing that damned crown into my mouth! Sure enough, six months later, I needed a root canal and my new crown had to get a hole drilled in it. Thank goodness a different dentist did the root canal. Too bad he isn't the "regular, six-month appointment" one.

To top it off, when the dentist got an estimate on the root canal from the insurance company, he also added TWO crowns to the estimate. I haven't gone back to him since. Now I'm not sure if I should try another dentist in the same building/practice or find a totally new practice. I hate dentists, to begin with, but this jerk has made my experiences worse. The practice advertises that they "baby" their patients. Bullshit. All I end up is mad.

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

There's a difference between "babying" their patients & treating them like babies. No point in giving your business to anyone who doesn't know the difference. Trouble is, people in the same practice tend to have similar working styles.

If you happen to be in NoVA, I'm very happy with my own dentists (a husband& wife team) & would gladly recommend them.

[ziggychaos.livejournal.com]

I'm in the Chicago area, but thanks for the advise and comments! :D

[neadods.livejournal.com]

There's a difference between "babying" their patients & treating them like babies

Ironically, the new place treats me like I'm 6, but that's what I want - to have things explained to me Very Clearly In Small Words before they happen. It beats the everlivin' hell out of finding out after the fact what happened wasn't what I wanted to happen.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

WOW! And I thought I had horror stories! Find a new place!

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the new contract & the successful dentist visit! May you continue to be happy with her.

You know, IANAL, but it seems to me that performing 2 unauthorized procedures that permanently alter your body fits the legal definition of assault. At the very least, I'd talk to your insurance about denying payment for those.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I could make a variety of cases - not just assault and battery, but insurance fraud (although they did do the procedure... it was just an unnecessary one.)

Right now there seems to be a lag between what the old company filed for under insurance and what the new company's filing for. I'm waiting to see what happens... if the old company tries to come after me for more money, that's when I'm really going to make a big issue of it.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

High pressure crap like the first dentist pulled is one of the many reasons I'm also avoidant of going to dentists. I'm glad you found a good one on your second try.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Seriously! There was a reason I didn't go for 15 years!

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Yay for finding a GOOD dentist! They do exist, but sometimes you have to hunt around a bit.

[inamac.livejournal.com]

I had the same problem - what is it with dentists that some actively seem to discourage patients? Something they teach in special sadistic dental schools?

Glad that you have found one who listens (he must have slipped through the net somehow!)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

She's a marvel. She's not the specific dentist who was recommended to me, but as someone said upthread, what one person in the practice is like, all the people in the practice will be like.

[suze2000.livejournal.com]

You can get valium for drilling??! I want some of that! I thought you just had to clench the arm of the chair and pray to whatever gods you choose (or all of them).

I'm glad you won on both counts, it's nice when you are rewarded for effort. I agree with the person who suggested that dentist assaulted you, BTW. You should make a formal complaint to whatever board registers dentists over there, and to your insurer.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Valium *and* a massage chair *and* encouragement to have headphones and my ipod with me. I still got shocky, but it wasn't as traumatic.

Nor was there PTSD as much. The first dentist used plenty of Novocaine, but didn't use water as she drilled, so the scent of burnt tooth enamel was in my sinuses for the next 4 days, retriggering me with every inhale. The second one used lots of water, so there was no stench haunting me.

[signeh.livejournal.com]

Great news about being on contract again!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'm thrilled. Not only that there's something beyond this proposal, but that the work sounds very interesting.