Went back today (=yesterday) for the 2nd half of my deep-cleaning.  I’m a little sore now — I definitely got worked over but it doesn’t hurt, not like the last time.  Then again, last time I had a tooth about to die on me!  My whole mouth was throbbing for weeks, and I blamed it on the deep-cleaning but in reality it was because of that bum tooth.  I’m going back after the holidays to get that root canal re-filled by the way.  I wasn’t aware of this at the time, but he’d used a temporary filling, in case I had any more problems.  Everything’s fine now, so it’s time to put in the "real" filling.  I still need to get it crowned at some point, but that can wait a little while longer.  Right now my money still needs to go towards my gums, but thankfully the worst of that’s over too!


I’m going back for a normal cleaning (sans Novocaine) in March, and another one three months after that.  Then probably we’ll switch to a twice-yearly schedule like normal people do.  He did say the right half of my gums looks a bit happier — that’s the side he deep-cleaned a few weeks ago — so it looks like all the efforts are paying off.  Man… I was really on the fast track to losing all my teeth, I’m really glad I saw the light, and actually found a dentist I like!  Well, I don’t dread seeing him, let’s put it that way.  He’s real mellow, and pretty funny too.  I think it’s an age thing too; he seems to be around my same age so I don’t get that stern accusatory vibe that I get sometimes from older dudes, you know what I mean?  He knows I’m a lazy no-flossin’ Coke-swiggin’ slob with my teeth, and recommends this and that to treat it, but is more about the positive reinforcement than the guilt-trippin’.

(He’s Dr. Guenther on Washington St., so give him all yer business!)

He wants me to get a good electric toothbrush by the way.  Maybe Santa will bring me one.  I do have an old Hello Kitty electric toothbrush laying around here somewhere, but I kinda doubt that’s what he had in mind.  :-)