Vacation Vicissitudes

One huge molar filling fell out in November, requiring a crown. Another huge molar filling fell out in early December, requiring a second crown. Then, just after New Years, a third molar went ballistic. This one had had a root canal plus crown done about five years ago, though I'd always felt there was something dodgy about that operation. The tooth had never been quite right afterwards albeit just under the threshold for major intervention. Of course I'd told my dentist about it but he'd never found anything wrong or seen anything in X-rays. This tooth, however, the furthest back molar on my upper left side, got suddenly so sensitive I could barely tap my teeth together. Chewing was out of the question. Something had to be done.

On Tuesday my regular dentist sent me to an endodontist. But I didn't like the office setup so before the fellow even saw me I got up out of the dental chair and left. I was pretty nice about it, I thought, but I left. So I went online and looked for another endodontist. I got lucky and found a couple guys in my neighborhood who are great. Top rated by the Washingtonian magazine, super educated (one has a Ph.D. in addition to his dental degrees and both are professors), a very modern, cozy office, friendly staff. It doesn't hurt that the big dog is Irish American. Catholic. His partner, who'll actually do the work, is Irish born and raised, and Jewish. After my second consultation today we decided on a course of treatment for next Tuesday: the peccant tooth will be pulled and inspected. If, as is more likely, the tooth is cracked, then I go the normal implant route. If, as is still somewhat possible, the tooth is not cracked, and assuming it comes out cleanly (without, for example, any bone attached), then the endodontist will quickly fix the problem, whatever it might be, seal up the tooth so that it's not getting gunk leaking into it, and whip it back into my mouth. This is, I'm told, a rather cutting-edge technology, one that the dentisty industry doesn't quite approve because it takes money from the mouths of starving implant specialists. But these endodontists have had a high success rate with it. I could've had it done this afternoon but wasn't mentally prepared for the possibility when it was first explained. Next week I'll be fine...

What I'm hoping is that when I throw myself back into the podcast schedule I'll stop having these constant tooth crises. Maybe I'm superstitious but I'm also wondering whether I'll ever have a real vacation??