People Will Pay You To Be Inhumane

Finished off my third and final dental procedure this morning - turns out I had three cavities to fill, not two as I'd thought, but they were all in the same general location (upper right quadrant, but different teeth). So, at 8:00 a.m. I was in the chair with a swab of topical anesthetic stuck up against my gum to numb it for the Lidicane injection - using one of those horribly large, old-fashioned looking syringes - which, given my latent Aprilophobia was enough to set my eye to twitching.

Fortunately, the dental tech was pretty delicate, and in about twenty minutes I could literally feel the right side of my face drooping like the expression on a cartoon bloodhound. Then it was all a matter of drilling-and-filling, followed by a forty minute session of tooth bleaching.

So, now I've got gritty new tooth-colored molar coverings (I had been concerned they were going to use metal or some-such, but once they fade down a bit, I'm guessing they'll be indistinguishable from natural dental enamel, which pleases me somewhat), some sparkly white incisors, and a sore jaw now that the anesthetic has worn off - and of course, another bill racked up on the ole' VISA. Still, at least the insurance covers 80%, so I guess I should be thankful to have it.

Guess this will teach me not to put off regular dental hygiene for decades at a time.