I was at a lose as to what to do. Historically, I’ve had trouble giving things up. Lent was spent mocking my more pious friends. I still have letter and notes from every single one of my CouchSurfers. I… am playing World of Warcraft again.
I briefly entertained the thought of giving up alcohol. Of course, my friend was visiting me that weekend, so that was out of the question. Dessert was in the same boat.
On that very same weekend, I developed a terrible toothache. Not the “ow I’m sensitive to cold water kind,” but the “holy fucking shit I can’t eat I can’t sleep I can’t even sit still help me god I want to die” kind. I went to work Monday thinking it’ll go away eventually: that’s how I’ve treated most of my previous pain-related issues. However, during the day the pain became unbearable: no amount of anti-inflammatories and topical numbing agents worked. So, I gritted my teeth—rather, I grimaced—and took the next day off looking for a dentist.
Three fuck yeahs for dental coverage. A year ago I probably would have just sat at home and cried.
I got an appointment the next day. At that point, I haven’t had a dentist’s appointment for over 7 years. A complete set of x-rays revealed the culprit: a cavity the size of the Moon all the way in the back.
My new dentist told me the tooth could be saved, which was nice because implants cost a fortune. She referred me to an endodontics clinic, which specializes in root canals. You can see where this is going: for my task, I got part of my tooth removed in record time.
I have temporary filling in my teeth right now. Because the cavity is so huge I need to wait for regrowth before getting a proper crown. Even then, I’d probably need crown lengthening: which is fancy talk for “let’s cut into your gums so more of your tooth is exposed. I didn’t have the willpower to remove what anyone would consider to be an unhealthy amount of sweets from my life, and I paid for it with the forcible removal of a part of my skull.
I know what my tooth tastes like. I hope you never find out for yourself.
