Tuesday 17 November 2020

Relieved (And Cleaned!)

I am grateful that I'm able to have two dental checkups/cleanings a year - let me start there.

When covid lockdowns hit,  my dentist called and postponed my scheduled Springtime cleaning.  

I tried extra hard to keep my teeth clean knowing it might be a while before they were able to a) reopen and b) get me in.  During the last chunk of months I noticed one side of my teeth had an area that was a little sentsitive when I chewed on it.  So... I stopped chewing on it.  (I know, right?) After a month or two of only chewing on one side I started to get this one sided "headache" from time to time and I slowly put the pieces together (as best I could with, you know, zero dental training!) I know that a lot of my stress has gone into my jaw during this time and the headache I was feeling was most likely actually referred pain from chewing only on that one side.  But... I still hadn't heard from my dentist and wasn't sure what to do.

A week or two ago I decided to just call them to check in.  They ended up having a cancellation and the other day I was able to get in for my first cleaning and check up in a year.  

I was pretty dang nervous about it due to covid exposure risk and I took something to calm me down the morning of.  I was extra anxious because they had me fill out all sorts of forms that basically made it sound like I'd get covid by going.  (Yes, that's what anxiety can do sometimes...take something "normal" and make it terrifying... it sucks.)

I mentioned to the hygenist that I'd had to take something for anxiety and she assured me that all the new/additional protocols they'd added would mean I was pretty safe  - and that she would be as well.

The cleaning went SUPER well (phew! and yay me!) and the dentist wonders if I may have chipped some material inside a tooth on the sore side so I'm back in a few weeks for some adjustments to... uh... something (was hard to hear,  masks and shields and all) and to my night guards (I explained that on the really stressed nights I can't seem to keep them in as it just feels like I'm clenching too much and he explained that he understands, but also that those are the nights I need them in most... for protection.

I'm very aware right now that our province is sort of hovering on potential closures again and so I'm valuing what appointments I can get while I can.  I'm also getting increasingly anxious and uncomfortable at said appointments so it is a bit of a balancing act for me right now.

But I am very glad they were able to fit me in and check out the bite/chewing issue and that my teeth were pretty darn clean and that I've had a cleaning.   It would likely have been another season or two until they could catch back up and I'm not honestly sure I would have asked about the bite thing as it hasn't really ever been a huge deal.  So I'm super thankful things worked out the way they did and I'm relieved the appointment for cleaning is done and I'm really grateful for places and people adjusting to  this global pandemic with PPE and protocols and spacing appointments and just all the really clever changes that have been made.  

Here's to continued health.... physical, mental, emotional and all the rest.

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