Fixing broken things, part III

As Rorschach might mutter, "Hurm."

It's always something, isn't it?

I had planned on getting braces next week, and I think I still do. Maybe.

Yesterday I had a routine dental visit, just for a cleaning, and the appointment began with the typical Q&A about how my teeth have been feeling since the last appointment (hard and white?), is there any pain (no), have I been flossing (regularly, but not religiously), etc. I mentioned that I was scheduled to get braces next week with an orthodontist a couple of blocks away from my dentist's office, so they could be prepared the next time I came in for a visit with a metal mouth.

At my first dental checkup in this office (shamefully, my first in a long time in ANY office), my dentist took x-rays and was a little concerned about my wisdom teeth, which I haven't had removed. They're not painful and never have been, but the dentist said my lower-left wisdom tooth hadn't grown in all the way and was pretty much still under my gums, and she was afraid it might affect its neighboring tooth. She also said that the root of the wisdom tooth was "getting tangled" with the other tooth. She couldn't tell if there's any decay or cavity, because the crowding made it difficult to see the x-ray clearly.

Plus, she said, the way my other teeth had grown in made it tough to clean in the back of my mouth ("it's hard for us here in the office, and it's almost impossible for you at home"). My upper right one is grown in at a bit of a severe angle and juts out into my cheek, but I can't feel it, nobody can see it, and it doesn't affect the way I eat - but to get it clean, I have to "pop my lower jaw forward".

So I should cancel braces for now?, I asked.

Her recommendation was that I see an oral surgeon for an evaluation before making that decision. Because what I really want to do is have four teeth that don't hurt and have never bothered me ripped from my gums, take painkillers for a week, and not be able to eat comfortably for a few days.

Then get braces, which will stay on for 12-18 more months.

For no particular reason, I'm particularly wary about the painkillers thing. I'm not afraid of taking them, necessarily, but I've never taken them before and kind of like having such a long streak without a prescription. In fact, I can't remember the last time I took a prescribed medication of any kind. When I was in grammar school, maybe? I take Advil for a headache now and then, but that's it. I'm like Bruce Willis in "Unbreakable".

Waaah.

So I suppose it's a good thing I had this appointment before I had the braces put on, because if my wisdom teeth became an issue in the next 12-18 months while I was wired up, it could get complicated. On the other hand, I don't want to postpone having them put on, because I'm anxious to get started, though I realize it would only be a very temporary setback.

So I have to call the oral surgeon this morning, see if I can get in ASAP for an evaluation, figure out if I need to postpone the braces and for how long, and then possibly psyche myself up to have my mouth operated on. Hmm ... an operation, or braces? Such a fun choice! Of course, it's not a choice at all, because the answer is actually C: All of the above.

Like the saying goes, ignorance truly is bliss, I suppose. Though I hadn't been to a dentist in a ridiculously long time, I was happy. My teeth didn't hurt, and I brushed regularly. Now, thanks to the professionals, I can look forward to at least one and probably two separate procedures, AND the payments that result! Good times. Good times indeed.

Maybe they'll let me wear Rocky's cone, since he just had mouth surgery too. Life's full of amazing timing that way.

Speaking of Rocky, we got the pictures back. They're not gruesome, so if you're squeamish about seeing wounds or injured animals, I promise these aren't too upsetting. I don't think they are, anyway. Maybe a little gross. Keep in mind that Rocky has responded incredibly well to the surgery and his antibiotics, and though he's still healing up, he doesn't seem any worse for wear. He's honestly the kindest, nicest dog I've ever met (my own pets included), and he just keeps bopping along the best any 13 year old mutt can.



Our heroes at Morristown Animal Hospital! They've been fantastic in taking care of Joey, our half-husky/half-Jackass, and Rocky, my dog-in-law who needed emergency surgery.





You can see the bleed-through under his eye in these photos. Because of the wound, the ping-pong ball sized swollen "bulb" had mostly disappeared at this point. It was unsettling, trust me.



It's as if RCA Victor had an accident.



Note the bandage on his leg. He was under general anesthesia during the procedure, and they had to give him lots of fluids.





None of us slept well this night. Fortunately, he only had to wear the protective cone for ~24 hours; had he needed a drain for his wound, it could have been days. I wouldn't be writing this right now, because I'd have killed someone or been institutionalized. Not that I wish this on any dog, but I'm glad it happened to Rocky and not Joey. His temperament is better suited for this sort of thing, and it still was tough to get through.



Freedom! The bandage and cone came off, and the whining stopped. He still has to wait a few days before he can eat hard foods, though. I can tell he's anxious, though, because he knows he's supposed to get a couple of usual treats per day, and he looks longingly at the container in which they're kept.



A minor miracle - they're within a few feet of each other, and Joey isn't growling or lunging! We brought Joey to the kennel for a couple of days, just to be safe, and he came back a changed dog. He's been keeping to himself in our bedroom most of the time. I wonder if he finally just gave up and resigned himself to not being the only dog here. I'm sure he'll be relieved when Rocky leaves, but we're enjoying "mellow Joey" for as long as it lasts. Still, we dare not leave the two of them together unsupervised.