I have always had a fear of losing my teeth from as far back as I could remember, it was always my biggest fear. My family was not religious with making sure I got my teeth clean every six months but I did go enough to keep my teeth in pretty good shape.
When I was 13 years old I had a filling which they performed with no anesthetic which made me fear the dentist. It was almost ten years later that I decided I needed to get over that fear and go back. By then I had three children, I had no issues taking them to the dentist and I began taking each of them to the dentist a little before their second birthday.
Since that first time I took my eldest over fifteen years ago my children have never missed a cleaning and have had all the preventative treatments like sealants and flouride. Between them all they have had maybe six cavities which I consider a success for five children. Tristan has his first dental check up next month and Sophie has been going since she was two. Ariana is now on a regular schedule but I don’t think my sister ever took her before.
When I finally let go of my fears and returned to the dentist my childhood fillings had begun to break down. I was convinced I needed a root canal by a new office I had switched to and went ahead and had one. Biggest mistake ever, when I finally realized what they had actually done to my tooth for the root canal I cried and cried. It took years for the sensitivity to go away and it still bleeds when I floss.
As the years passed I became more and more afraid of losing my teeth, my mother is 53 and has lost almost all her teeth. I know her tooth loss was from neglect and possibly smoking and gum disease, it still scares me.
The last time I had a cleaning was when I was pregnant with Sophie four years ago. I had also begun to repair my fillings and then Sophie was born and that was no longer a priority. A couple of months ago I chipped one of my front teeth and for days I refused to eat anything but soft foods. I was terrified to say the least, I really was.
Today I finally got in for my cleaning and I”ve never loved the dentist more than today. Having a good dental insurance helps too. For having carried six children who drained me of my calcium and energy my teeth look great and I only need to repair four fillings and they are very small. The dentist asked me if I ever had braces and when I said no he told me I am very lucky because my teeth are beautiful.
To any other person that would just be a simple compliment but for me it was huge it made my day, my month and the rest of this year. The only advice I got was to not brush them so much, yeah, who knew you can scrape away tooth enamel by brushing too much and by brushing at the wrong angle.
So now I feel really good! The hygienist gave me samples of several different flosses for me to try (I use the Glide floss) and some little rubber dental sticks she recommends instead of tooth pics. Not that I use tooth pics but either was they are cool.
Some may think I am obsessed with my teeth, maybe I am a little but that’s a good thing. Maybe now I’ll stop having nightmares that my teeth are falling out or that I need another root canal. Now that I know my teeth are good maybe my subconscious can let go of its paranoia and allow me to have a peaceful nights sleep.
My Dance in the Rain 