Today was my six-month checkup with the dentist. Only it wasn't - it was my first regular visit with the new dentist. It's always interesting to change providers, whether health care or otherwise (i.e., hair stylists), and see the difference in what each person emphasizes.
This new dentist is of the young, pro-active variety. And I don't say that with a negative connotation. I hope twenty years from now he holds this same approach with his patients. He has a young, newly-trained assistant and also something we haven't seen in town regularly - a Registered Dental Hygienist.
Since this was my first "regular" appointment, I got to make the acquaintance of the RDH. Hubby had seen her about a month ago. He was gone so long that I began to worry about him. The RDH told Hubby during his appointment that people sometimes complain about how long she takes to clean their teeth. So I went in prepared.
She chatted a bit to get acquainted with me, changed the water in her irrigation machine to lukewarm at my request, and then started by taking a full set of x-rays. Finally she gave me the protective glasses and got to work in my mouth. I wasn't sure what exactly she was doing, but she was very carefully going around each tooth individually. Once she was done, she told me she was measuring each tooth. Hmm. I didn't know that was done - or why, for that matter. We finally got to the cleaning part. It took awhile, and that didn't surprise me. I liked our old dentist, but I had the distinct feeling he was at the point of his career where he was mostly complacent.
There have been a couple of times the newer office procedures/equipment have surprised me: 1) Finding out that x-rays no longer involve film and developing, but the x-rays now are transmitted directly to the computer and into my patient chart; 2) realizing that the newer offices don't have a spit cup. Yes, no spit cup. Instead they just use the little suction rod to suction everything, including when they're irrigating your mouth with squirting water. It's a concept my body rebelled against a bit - having all that water and knowing I needed to do SOMEthing with it! But the little suction rod was there, and the RDH told me to close my mouth. Instantly all the water was gone and I started to feel like my tongue would be sucked in next.
My cleaning was finally done, she gave me back my glasses and got the dentist. I like the professionalism here - both the RDH and the dentist shook hands with me. The dentist has done that at every visit. My x-rays were pulled up on a screen and I was struck again at how unattractive teeth are in the x-rays, regardless of how pretty your smile might be.
A term I have recently become acquainted with is "periodontal disease". I was somewhat familiar with the disease and thought there was a good chance from the description that I might have it. I know a cousin had been treated for it several years ago.....and I know that Mom has an issue going on that's never been termed "periodontal disease" but probably is. The dentist brought it up again today and suggested it would be a good idea for me to have an appointment with a specialist in North Kansas City. I told him I would talk with Hubby and see what he said. And Hubby, always trying to take care of me, said I should do it.
I have come to realize in the past few months that I've reached a certain point in my life - that point where the little voice in your head says to you, "at your age, does it really matter?". And I find myself taking that into consideration when I weigh the pros and cons. I seem to be hearing it more and more. I find that thought factors in when I weigh the pros and cons of decisions. And so I need to call the dentist and have them make that appointment for me. At my age, what can it hurt?
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