Looking for a man who can drill

I saw the dentist today. It wasn't the worst afternoon of my life. I think as I am getting older, my childhood fears are just falling to the way side. Maybe it's because I work in a hospital, or maybe it's because I'm more afraid of being sick. For as much as I hate needles, I hate the thought of having some disease that I don't know about. A flu shot or a blood test or whatever I need to keep me from dropping dead from the bird flu is fine by me. The dentist, whatever, sit in the chair take some shots, take the drill, take the pliers, whatever. Just get me out pain, and leave me able to still eat SOMETHING, even if it's NOT tortilla chips. No it's not comfortable, but neither is the excruciating pain that I'm in otherwise.

I am a believer in preventative maintenance, even though in many ways it's too late for me. You should not neglect your gums, and I am living proof of that.

I need to have a few teeth removed, because they are dead and there is bone loss in my gums. He wants to install bone in my mouth. There's a dirty joke in there somewhere, have at it. But he will remove two molars, and install bone so I can have an implant later which consists of putting in an artificial tooth root and then screwing in the fake tooth. It's all going to be very expensive, but there is a three to six month healing time in between. The covered services are inexpensive, so the uncovered services (like the implants or the bone) will balance out. We have big plans for my mouth. I'm just setting you up... yuk it up pals!!!

He also said that the infection in my gums is probably the reason for the dizzy spells I've been having and that it's very easy for microorganisms in your mouth to go straight to your heart via the blood vessel under your tongue, or bleeding gums. (See endocarditis.) Ok, that is scary stuff. I don't floss enough, so I can get a heart infection and die!!

Fantastic.

Death by gums? Wouldn't it just figure?