Tuesday, December 4, 2007

smile doctor

I have a new dentist. This probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but I went to the same dentist for years and years....and then, when I changed jobs, I was far from her office, which was in the east bay. And my new job is in the opposite direction.

So....I went without a dentist for awhile. Then I started to search for one. But here's a tip: never, never pick a practitioner just because he or she is listed as a "preferred provider" by your insurer (or is the term "in network"?)! The people I contacted through my insurer weren't up for the job...they just charged the right price, apparently.

Finally I got a great recommendation for a dentist. He was downtown...in one of those big buildings filled with dentists and doctors. And I have to say....he was awesome! He showed me my teeth on a big flat-panel TV...in scary HD detail...did a complete exam, and even mailed me a comprehensive summary of the state of my gums, teeth, overbite, and more. I can get an appointment in a reasonable amount of time. And his staff seems to love their jobs. Not only that, they're hilarious.

This morning I had a filling done that I knew I needed before I found him. It took him 15 minutes...and he even gave me the novacaine I prefer....the kind *without* adrenaline in it. (For those of you who wonder why you feel so stressed in the dental chair: it might not be you. It just might be in that injection.) The nice thing about non-adrenalined novacaine is that it wears off in about an hour, so you're not slurring your words all day and trying to talk with a frozen face or crooked lips that feel like they're on someone else's face.

So....I'm happy with my dentist. My mouth will be in great shape, even though the rest of me is falling apart.