Going to the Dentist Isn’t as Painful as It Used to Be
Don’t let fear keep you away. You could lose your teeth.
I’ve been putting off going to the dentist for years. Partly because of the cost, but mostly to avoid the pain.
Those shots really hurt — or at least they used to.
I finally went to the dentist yesterday, after years of avoidance. I had a tooth that had been bothering me, and I knew I’d waited too long to do anything about it. I figured I’d lose it.
It turns out I’ll probably lose at least eight teeth.
Yes, eight.
I managed to hold back the tears when the dentist told me, but I let them loose when I got back home.
The Diagnosis: Periodontitis
You can’t tell from looking at me, but I have severe periodontal disease. I have lost quite a bit of bone around my teeth, especially my back molars and my four bottom front teeth. It’s likely that I will lose all of those. Not right away, but eventually.
This could have been prevented with regular cleanings. Now I will have to undergo a treatment called scaling and root planing, which involves pulling the gums back to clean below the gum line. They can do that at my regular dental office.
