Dentist Woes

Earlier this year I had to have the most expensive dental work of my entire life (I am not including orthodontia as I did not have to pay for that). I needed a root canal. Now, I have dental insurance, and it covers up to $1000 a year, which I am told by my mother is fairly standard. This root canal needed to be done on a tooth which a filling cracked out of, let's say...2 weeks before my wedding in 2005. Why did I not get it take care of before this year, you may ask? Well, I didn't have any dental insurance, and then when I did, the a-holes running the Limi.ted Brands empire made it impossible for me to use it. Finally, around early February, the nerve got infection and my mouth was instantly filled with pain. Needless to say, the dental field is unlike the medical field, and whatever your insurance won't cover, you have to come up with. Herego, I had to fork over an extra $1600 dollars to end my misery. That's right, the total bill was about $2600 for ONE TOOTH.

When I went back to get my diamond platinum crown (it was really just porcelein, i tell myself it was equivalent to jewelry to ease the empty bank account shock), the dentist so kindly pointed out that the decay had spread to a neighboring tooth, however; she couldn't fix it until I had a complete x-ray and comprehensive workup done and all this was going to cost about another $500 because my insurance was maxed out. I kindly pointed out that I had another chipped filling that I would like taken care of first. She said the same thing....that I need the x-rays and exam, blah blah. I said I would check my schedule and get back to the office when I coudl figure out a time (could I help it that this time may be early January of the next year?)

So on the morning of Fourth, my husband decided to wash all three of our cars and left me to lay on the couch. Being in the delicate condition that I am, I am only able to eat certain things that sound good at the time, and I have to eat them fast because when my stomach realizes what I am giving it, I have to run to the bathroom. This morning, I decided on Fritos with cottage cheese. I ate a bit and then was letting what little was in my tummy rest, when I felt something wierd in my mouth. Upon spitting it in my hand, I discovered that it was part of my chipped filling tooth! A quick running of my tongue along my teeth confirmed that there was indeed a hole in my tooth, and it was quite jagged.

This sucks for many reasons. First, it obviously needs to be fixed somehow and this means I will have to re-budget the money yet again to find the extra cash to cover it. Second, I can't have novacaine. SUCKO. And third, I have to feel like a redneck hick in the mean time with a small gap in mouth (granted it is in the back, but I know it is there). Upon several calls to family members, the general consensus is that I should have the dentist file the edge and fill it in on a temporary basis, until Baby Lahman is safely screaming in her waiting room with his father who is waiting to drive my drugged up, numbed face self back to our one room shack to eat ramen noodles, which is all we can afford since we will most likely have to pay for another root canal.

Oh, and given the nature of my mouth, I could not really enjoy the corn on the cob to the fullest, which was all I was really looking forward to eating. Like I said, I have to eat what sounds good, and I have to eat it fast.