tales from the ditch

I went to the dentist in… November, I think.  At that time, I had one little cavity on #18, of course the occlusal, freakin leakin sealants.  ANYway.  So, this visit was at the college dental hygiene clinic.  The dentist on staff that day informed me that they couldn’t fix my cavity until February or March, when the dental hygiene students learn to fill cavities with composite.  A dentist would prep my tooth, and a hygiene student would fill it, under the supervision of faculty.  And all this for practically no cost.  I ask, can I wait that long?  Should I get it filled now, by a private practice dentist?  

At that time, I had an excellent high-paying (well, high-paying by my standards) job, and the $100 visit would not have been a big deal.

Well, my ass figured it could get a fat discount if it waited until Feb or March when the dental hygiene clinic called me.

Dental hygiene clinic never called, and never returned my calls.

To my understanding of the term, this is called PATIENT ABANDONMENT and I am pissed as all hell about it.

Never mind that, though.  Here’s the real problem.

Now, at this point in time, I’m essentially unemployed except for my poverty-level wages from my teaching job.  And I’m serious about the poverty level.  I checked the government charts. 

And so, now I can’t afford that $100 visit to the dentist to get my little occlusal cavity filled in #18.

For the past few days I’ve noticed this… jagged part?… on the distal of #21.  I figured I had some popcorn or something stuck between 20 and 21, and so I didn’t panic.

Tonight, I got good and determined to get that damned piece of popcorn out of the contact between 20 and 21.  

I flossed.  I brushed, with Sonicare and with a manual toothbrush.  I rinsed.  I flossed some more.  I got out my dental mirror and pick and I still couldn’t figure out what the hell was stuck in between my teeth.

I have concluded by less-than-scientific methods that I now have another carious lesion on the distal of #21, and do you know what that means?

Now, I have to pay for another exam ($50, best case scenario), perhaps another cleaning ($50?), and two cavities, one of which may end up being a two-surface, and my best guess is that those will run anywhere from $200 to $300.  And who knows what kind of diagnostic films and lab supplies I will have to pay for.  So now I’m looking at a $400 dental bill because my ass didn’t want to spend $100 when I had it back in November.

DUMBASS!!!

It gets worse.

Normally, if I had maintained my contacts in the dental world, I’d be able to call up my good chum from dental school and say, “Hey, I’ve got a couple of composites that need done.  Can you give me a good deal on those?” and my dental school chum would say, “Sure, no problem,” and give me the whole shootin’ match on the cheap.

But no.  I couldn’t do anything like maintain some professional contacts.  Could I?  No, of course not.

So now I’ve gotta pay through the nose like everybody else, and I can’t.

I’m a little afraid I’m going to lose my teeth because my sorry ass can’t save up $400 for the dentist.

DAMMIT!