Second Opinion

Happy Saturday! I don’t normal post on Saturdays, but every now and then it’s nice to pop in and say hello when it’s not expected right?

Hello!

Two Years Too Long

I had a dentist appointment yesterday.  While most people dread a trip to the dentist, I actually look forward to them.

I have a meticulous daily dental hygiene routine that includes flossing every single day.  Promise… I can’t even think of going to bed without doing it.  I guess it’s a good habit to have though, considering “that’s what we’re supposed to do,” says every dentist out there.

This may come to a shock, but before February I hadn’t been to a dentist for a teeth cleaning in about two years.  Here’s why, in a very short, matter-of-fact version:

1) I outgrew my parents’ dental insurance. (Sad day).

2) I got my own insurance, but it barely covered doctors visits, let alone anything dental.

3) I was stubborn and refused to pay $100 for a cleaning.

4) I was planning a wedding and had many more “priorities” to pay for.

About a year ago – yes a year – I noticed a tooth ache on my left side that came and went for months.  Since I was going to be married soon (and added onto Scott’s insurance), I decided to wait it out and take extra careful care of my teeth on my own.

I Don’t Have THAT Many Cavities

I got so wrapped up in changing my name, adjusting to everyday married life and focusing on a new job that my tooth aches seemed to disappear after the wedding.  Also, it took a few months to get everything situated before I could start making appointments for annual visits with my new name and new insurance.

For some reason, I assumed the dentist I had always gone to for years wasn’t an option with my new insurance.  I didn’t feel like going through the process of elimination to find out who does take my insurance, so I finally called Scott’s new dentist at the end of December for a cleaning and got on the books for mid-February.

That dentist office (which will remain nameless) was not for me.

Right away, I got the vibe that I was a business opportunity more than a patient to them.  They had me fill out a questionnaire asking me to rate my smile, how comfortable I am with it and if I would do anything to change it.

That all seemed fine until the end of my cleaning, where they tried to push me into getting a ZOOM treatment and Invisalign.  Oh, did I mention this was after they told me I had eight to ten cavities to fill?  EIGHT to TEN.

I’m sorry – do I look like I sweat money or something?

The total cost for all four quadrants of cavities to be treated was going to come to $1,300.  I know I hadn’t been to a dentist in a while, but there’s NO WAY I had that many cavities.  When I got home, I told Scott and he suggested I call my old dentist.  Needless to say, neither of us will be going to see that dentist office again.

Second Opinion

I’ll try to wrap up this story for you.

When I told my old dentist what happened, he was more than happy to squeeze me into a last minute cancellation and see me the very next day.

That day was yesterday.

He examined my teeth, told me I maybe had one cavity to be worried about and that my teeth were still in tip-top shape.  I explained my worries and actually urged him to take care of anything questionable, and within an hour I walked out with a filling, an appointment for a cleaning in four months and a numb left side of my mouth.

As for the other office I visited, he tried to give them some credit by agreeing that I have a few “watchful” areas that could easily turn into cavities one day.  He also said they’ve been like that for over three years now, and because he knows me and my dental hygiene routine well enough, they haven’t gotten any worse and most likely never will.

Well thank you very much for treating me like a patient and friend, Dr. Art Ryder!

Juicing for the Numb

From the conversation I had with the lady at the check-out counter to putting on lip gloss in the car, everything I did with a half numbed mouth was pretty comical.

I knew that lunch would have to be something simple and easy to eat or drink.

I’ve been wanting to try juicing with carrots and apples, so I gathered whatever fruit sounded good and gave it a shot.

After making a Carrot, Orange and Apple Yogurt Smoothie earlier this week, I was anxious to leave out the yogurt and see how my fruit combination tasted.

If I had one word to describe the taste, it would be delicious!

 

I paired my juice with a slice of whole wheat toast topped with peanut butter and chia seeds.

It was a great lunch, but only filled me up for about ten minutes.  Shortly after, I left the kitchen with one of my favorite healthy snacks: cottage cheese and tomato slices.

Does anyone else cover their sliced tomatoes and/or cottage cheese in pepper?  It’s such a great combo!

If there’s anything you got out of reading this today, I hope it’s to never underestimate the importance of getting a second opinion.

When seeing any kind of doctor for any kind of reason and you feel like something just isn’t right, it might not be a bad thing to go with your instincts and have someone else take a look.

The difference for me was a lot of time, a lot of mouth numbing and a lot of money: $1,221.

Totally worth it! 🙂

Questions

Have you ever gotten a second opinion that hasn’t been worth it?

Any crazy dentist experiences?