The Ugly (Tooth) Truth

Sometimes it feels better to just not think about things, worry about things.  The old adage, "What you don't know won't hurt you" - doesn't that sound like good advice?

Not when it comes to teeth.

Due to my rational fear of subpar insurance and an irrational fear of dentists that may or may not have a vested interest with those that profit from putting braces on six and seven year olds, I have delayed the dental care of my children.  Prior to our appointment this week, the girls have been on a dental hiatus since we moved 900+ miles.  We brush, we floss, we change our toothbrushes regularly, but I put off finding dental care for various reasons, rational and irrational.

Essentially, I have been depriving my daughters of potentially bad dental experiences.  My record with the dentist has been very hit and miss.  The last trip was a doozy and I have not been back in a couple of years.

So the girls were VERY happy about going to the dentist yesterday.  They actually got spa treatments while their dental work was progressing.  Massage chair, parrafin wax treatments for their hands, aromatherapy.  All this distracts you (for a little while) until that scraper-thingy comes out.

The results were mixed.  Darby's teeth are in good condition, but all of the sealants that I paid for two years ago are gone, so now she has a whole new set of sealants.  If these are gone in a year, I will be sure that the latest racket in the area of dental hygiene is sealants.

Roxy's teeth - well, we know that her future will not be as pearly white as Darby's, or mine or Scott's for that matter.  Welcome to the world of novacaine, gauze, and setting off metal detectors with your mouth.

Would Roxy's teeth have been spared if I has bumped up her appointment by, let's say, a year?  The dentist wants me to believe that to be the case. 

Thanks for the guilt.  I was already in guilt-induced trouble for not putting Easter Bunny gifts in their baskets this year AND the girls got to share this fact with all the adults at our church.   (It is always fun to get shamed by church people on a religious holiday.  Now they think I'm down on Easter...)  The ugly truth is:  no matter what you do, you will not live up your daughters' expectations, your dentist's expectations, or your church's expectations.  But I will not be cowed by guilt for long - I will make up for these errors in one way or another, until the next trip to the dentist, or the next holiday I don't properly recognize.