Yes, I have dental school friends. At least three of them... maybe more, but I can definitely think of three... they're awesome... you should be so lucky. One of them is technically not a dental school friend because he's actually finished with school and is now, in fact, a practicing dentist. Yeah... crazy, huh? In fact, he's actually my dentist. He's appeared on the blog as "Angry Steve", which is a nickname that he isn't particularly fond of, but well... he is sometimes angry... not frequently, but often enough. And when he does get angry, it's usually a spectacular display, like a grown-up temper-tantrum (I think he stamps his feet), and so he warrants the "Angry" part of the nickname, I think. Also his name is Steve. Also, he controls his anger when he's drillin' on my chompers.
4:00 Floss (yeah, I'm slow... but I am me.tic.u.lous)
0:15 Tap water mouth rinse (theory: swishes away "gunk" loosened during flossing).
0:45 Listerine® mouth rinse, 15sec. more than recommended... bad ass, (theory: like the power-wash cycle on the washing machine... gets the "gunk" the water missed, and loosens plaque, etc. Also, it burns, so that must be good).
3:00 Brush w/generic whitening-tartar control-plaque removing-blah, blah, blah... (3min?!? Yeah... I get all surfaces... small circles, 45deg angle at the gum-line... all that shit).
2:00 Brush w/prescription ControlRx® Fluoride toothpaste (Angry Steve told me I had to)
0:00 Don't rinse w/water, only expectorate - that means spit (only noted here because it feels horribly unnatural to not rinse)
...
So yeah, I'm weird... I spend 10 minutes each night cleaning my teeth before bed. But I like to think of it as my 10 minuts of peace... a time of "introspection". Staring at my ugly mug in the mirror, I can reflect on those things on my mind that are most pressing. Tonight, for instance, I reflected on why it is that I spend 10 minutes each night cleaning my teeth. It wasn't always this way. Oh yeah... now I remember. I just paid my credit card bill... $444.70 out-of-pocket for two fillings. Not having insurance SUCKS!
4 comments:
At least you didn't have to pay out-of-pocket for a root canal, like I had last September. So keep up that OCD teeth routine!
Ooo... root canal. So far I've dodged that bullet. What really gets me though... I've been flossing like it's going out of style, and still I developed two cavities in the last year.
Aside: Josh Ridder's new disc is great. Thanks for the loan... I love it. Can't believe he's from Moscow. He reminds a bit of Grant-Lee Phillips or Ryan Adams (in voice at least) on this one.
You forgot to include the fact that I always choose to try to talk to you during your dental hygene ritual, thus likely upsetting the routine and making you secretly annoyed with me...
Tim, I always love the dental posts. It makes us dental people feel important. It's great to know that we've truly made an impact on your life. ;P So, I have 2 things:
1) From what I've learned (disclaimer: ask your licensed dentist for all dental advice), you really should cut your listerine with 50% water. It's pretty harsh (hence the burning) and it can actually make layers your oral tissues come off.
2) Over $400 bucks for 2 fillings? Man, I'm so glad I'm in this profession. I'll make the big bucks someday. I wouldn't want to take away any of Steve's business, BUT if you really need to save some dough, you could become a dental school patient, if you ever needed work in the future. However, with your meticulous routine, I can't imagine that will happen.
-Keep up the good work and keep smiling! :)
Post a Comment