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Phase 1: Appointment, made

1 February 2007

So, I have taken the plunge, overcome ~1% of my dental phobia and made an appointment. It took me a long time to do so, and in fact, I almost chickened out at the last second. However, the thought of writing these series of articles inspired me to press on, for the masses
I’m going to a general DDS guy that I have heard good things about. HOWEVER, I AM nervous because as much as I do need to go to a dentist for a filling (at least 1, possibly as many as 6, from what I can tell) I am really looking to have my un-straight teeth fixed.
Don’t get me wrong they aren’t like, awful, they’re just not perfect. See, I had been told that I would have this problem when I was about 10. I had been told that I would have crowded teeth, which is what I have now. Unfortunately, being the stubborn ass I was and in some ways still are, I decided the best course of action was to avoid dentists entirely. I’d search for reasons to justify my avoidance, other than fear. I’d read articles about discoloration due to braces and convince myself THAT was the reason I wasn’t going.

I was full of crap.

Then, 2 years ago, I bit down on a twizzler (about the only piece of candy I’ve had in the past 10 years) and had an excruciating pain fly through my jaw. I siked myself up for it, and decided I had to go to the dentist. I made the appointment, I went, I got x-rays. Surely, all my teeth must be rotten.

No! Of the four on the side they x-rayed, none had any cavities. They filled the grooves in them with some funky stuff to keep sugar and junk out of there, and I was off. I convinced myself, I was over my fear of dentists.

Then…

I couldn’t pay the bill. I lost my job, I had no money, and I’m embarrassed to say it but they effectively had to chase after me to get the money. I surely could not go back there again.

So anyway, back to the present, I have a fear that this path (regular DDS) is somehow the wrong decision. He won’t be able to fix my teeth, I’ll need an orthodontist, or I’ll just be too wussy to mention wanting them straightened. I honestly am intensely self-conscious about my teeth, even though, unless you were literally looking in my mouth you wouldn’t notice anything wrong.

So I’d feel better if I somehow thought I was wrong, and I was on the RIGHT path towards getting them fixed.

At the same time, I’m a little nervous about what will lie in that path. How many cavities will I have? How many fillings will I need? Root canals? Extractions? How long will it take for me to get the braces I need, the sooner I get them on the sooner I get them off and don’t have to deal with being 21+ and looking like a goof.

Wednesday is fast approaching, and I fear not so much the actual appointment, as the results from the appointment. I’ve got my iPod Nano, with Bill Cosby standup comedy charged and ready.

I’ll probably update once more on Wednesday, my appointment is at 11:30. Then I hope my next update will be with good news, and I’ll have a clear path ahead of me towards my goal, perfect teeth!

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