23 November 2010

Root planing and curettage

Today's the day that my unfortunately middle-aged gums get their first exposure to something called root planing and curettage. My dentist likes to pretty it up by calling it a deep cleaning, but I like to call things what they are. Root planing reminds me of a planing a door and the two things aren't too dissimilar.


However, when you plane a door there's lots of room to maneuver and the door doesn't feel a thing. No so with my mouth.


As I understand it; my dentist will shove a flashlight, a modified jack hammer, a bunch of hand tools and a suction device deep under the gum line of my molars and will scrape their roots until they're back to a more youthful, smooth and silky state.


In addition to costing far, far more money than I like to spend on my teeth, it will save me the heartache of tooth loss and dentures. The best part? It's a four-phase procedure and I have three more to look forward to after today. And how's your Tuesday shaping up?

10 comments:

  1. Oh. My. God.

    Please tell me you'll at least receive some very good drugs to take home.

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  2. Keeping company with an anesthesiologist has its benefits.

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  3. Good luck, Paul. Stay real close to that anesthesiologist!

    Happy Thanksgiving, too!

    Best,
    CB

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  4. Good luck!!! Recommend a water pik for the future to help maintain what your dentist accomplishes.

    Best wishes!

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  5. well that's given me some motivation to keep the flossing, rinsing and flouride up....

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  6. Thinking of you. Glad you have an anesthesiologist by your side. I once saw a woman walk right past the obstetrician who delivered her baby to throw her arms around the man who administered her epidural.

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  7. CB: Thanks, I wish there were a nerve block for my head that wouldn't leave me a drooling mute.

    Fl!p: Thanks! I've been a religious user of my Water Pik for as long as I've been a religious user of my Braun plaque remover, around 15 years. My dentist says that receding gums are a genetic crap shoot. I don't know how true that is but it makes me feel better about things.

    Anon: See comment above.

    Kathleen: I don't find that hard to believe at all.

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  8. Holy... I pray that I never need this done, I already have borderline dentist-phobia. (generally leave the office with cramped hands from white knuckling the arm rests the whole time.. for a check up!)

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  9. I survived the first phase I'm pleased to report. It's really not so bad and the long term benefit outweighs any short term discomfort. Really.

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  10. So good to hear your good report.

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