I come from a family with a history of bad teeth.  Both parents had bad teeth.  When I was a kid, I had braces, and did not take good care of my teeth, so when they came off, my mouth was riddled with cavities.  When I was about 9, one of my permanent teeth was coming in, in the incorrect orientation, so I went to the oral surgeon and he tried to turn it around to come in correctly.  That was a failure, and the tooth fell out, so I had a hole where the tooth should have been.  Later, I got a “fixed bridge” to span the empty spot.  That bridge was replaced at least three times over the years, when finally one of the two “abutment” teeth just rotted away.  So, I got my first “dental implant”.

Over the years, I have had crowns, bridges, and fillings replaced, and, as of today, three implants.  After all of this dental work, you’d think that I’d hate going to the dentist. Well, I don’t.  In fact, these days I have three of the best dental artists in the business.  I had my third implant placed today, and it was somewhat painful, as expected.  In fact, the worst part of it was the anesthetic injection in the roof of my mouth-it made me jump!  But once that was done, the rest of the procedure went smoothly.  My oral surgeon, Dr. A, besides being very good at his job, is drop-dead gorgeous.  He may bring pain, but that is reduced somewhat by his being so cute.  And today, he was all decked out is his “space alien” getup, with masks, face shield, and headlight on.  I just had to laugh when he walked in.  I have to admit, I chose his office just by chance, when I had to drive by every time I went to my regular dentist.  I think I made an excellent choice, since their offices (they have four) have all the high-tech gear they need. Take a look at this getup!  Masks, respirators, shield, and mask on top of the shield!

My regular dentist, Dr. M, took over my old dentists’ practice when they both retired.  They were both female, and I was somewhat apprehensive about having a male new dentist.  Well, that apprehension didn’t last long, and now I really appreciate the new guy.  His practice is totally up-to-date, with all the modern conveniences.  He does Cerec crowns, essentially 3D printed, which costs more, but you only have one appointment.  I look forward to seeing him when it’s time for my twice-yearly cleaning, and he does great work on the crown that goes with each implant (once you have the implant, you have to wait three months for it to heal before you get the “tooth” that goes with it).  He’s just a nice guy, and always makes the local list of “best dentists”.

Finally, with my bad teeth, I have had my share of root-canals.  A long time ago, when I was living on a shoestring, I needed a root canal, and went to the cheapest place I could find.  Boy, was that a mistake!  They wanted payment upfront, and their bookkeeper literally followed me around the entire time, from chair, to x-ray, back to chair, etc.  What a nightmare!  So, when I needed a root canal recently, my dentist referred me to the endodontist next door!  His office is in the next building down the street from my dentist’s office, so was easy to find.  Dr. R is also a great guy, and that first root canal was as quick and painless as any dental procedure.  He also has a very high-tech office, and I was in and out in an hour.  It also can’t hurt that we have the same politics, so we have something to grouse about together, that’s not about teeth!

So, this is an ode to my formidable dental team, may they all live long and prosper.  Thanks, guys!