A cautionary tale from the tooth fairy...

dental surgery...such joy to be had from this...
I needed a root canal done...somehow this relatively simple procedure has turned into 5 visits, 2 dentists, 1 periodontist, 3600mg of ibuprofen and I still have no idea what a periodontist actually is!
so it sorta goes like this
i visit dentist number one (now known as 'bad dentist' cos he whinged so much he put me off going back) who tells me that tooth 20 (which he later writes down as tooth 21 - strike 2) needs to have infected roots removed, filled up and crown placed on top. And by the way "get this done now as you'll need to get an incisor removed completely after this" - Visit 1
Dentists in the US don't dig out the roots, you need a specialist of course (funny how the rest of the world copes with having it all done under one roof) so he refers me to a specialist, but he has left me doubting his abilities, so for first time in my life I seek a second opinion (how Hollywood of me!)
I go to M's dentist who is kind and patient to a patient, and will now become 'Good Dentist'. He agrees that this is correct but I must seek out a periodontist to do this. - Visit 2 is complete
I find a periodontist in my healthplan (based on the thought her last name 'Summercorn' sounded like someone who would not hurt me too much) and ring the surgery to make an appointment to get the root canal done...but no...I must have a consultation first, before they can schedule the root canal and next one is not until 3 weeks. At which point I lose the will to live and agree to the appointment...i have no energy to try and find another surgery at this point.
I visit the periodontist who takes more x-rays despite Bad Dentist giving me an x-ray to show them and Good Dentist agreeing that the X-ray was ok...tooth 20 probabley glows in the dark now from all the X-rays it has had. Surprising enough (take a moment to grimace ironically please) she agrees that it does require a root canal and luck is on my side (this is Friday), they've had a cancellation and on Monday at 9:00 the inside of tooth 20 will now be removed - Visit 3 ends
Visit 4 involves lots of injections, jaw wrenching, slurpee suction sounds and moments of comedy when they couldn't get the clamp that goes around the tooth off, and i might have to walk out wearing it. She also stuffed a bit of cotton and lightweight cover and told me that my dentist would fit the crown...whaaaaa the ??? I had some stupid notion that she would finish of the job then and there...oh and I had to have it done in the next 10 days...hmmmm
So back at work I ring Good Dentist (who's office does not open until noon) and tell the receptionist that i need an appointment and guess what..."you need a full consultation first and the next one is in may...did I want to take that appointment?"...uh yes, but i need a crown in the next 10 days too please. She went off and talked to 'Good Dentist"...who lived up to his name and managed to see me at 8:00am on Tuesday.
Visit 5 got off to a bad start when the nurse realized I had only had the surgery the day before...a bit of consultation and the large quantity of ibuprofen already taken helped and 'Good Dentist' got underway. Visit 5 involved more injections (a wee bit painful on top of an already injected site), not so much jaw wrenching, just as much slurpee suction and the exciting addition of a mouth guard full of squishy pink stuff that sets like wax to take a mold to fix the permanent crown....yes folks, he was just fitting a temp crown cos they have to send away for a permanent one to be carved somewhere (no doubt by a specialist). On the bright side he did allow me to watch TV for 10 minutes while the squishy pink stuff set and I got to see just how young Ted Danson and Shelly Long looked in the early 'Cheers' episode. Definitely the high point of my day.
So now I have a mouth that can only eat mushy food despite the 600mg of ibuprofen every 6 hours for the last 2 days...$500 less due to co-payments and i still have 1 more appointment to fit the crown when it finally comes in.
Oh yes...and the prospect of an extraction involving an oral surgeon, titanium post insertion and wearing something called a 'flipper' for 6 months so I don't look like a hillbilly is all there to look forward to...you have been warned.