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So Monday I had a root canal. Holy Hell. Let me tell you, if you ever have to have one of these things, pray that it isn’t on one of your lower molars. I’ve had two on upper teeth closer to the front of my mouth, and they were a walk in the park compared to what was inflicted on my number 19 molar on Monday. They numbed me right to hell, which took a while and many injections, but it was really uncomfortable. The joint on the left side of my jaw still hurts just from all the pressure, and the tooth itself is still sore today. I have a temporary filling now, until I go back in about a week and a half and get fitted for a crown. I had to have all of this done because my tooth actually broke, probably because of the metal filling I had in it for many years. The old amalgam fillings tend to expand and contract, causing teeth to crack and sometimes break. If your dentist tells you she wants to replace your amalgam fillings with something else – do it!

And by the way, I thank all that is holy that we have dental insurance. Even WITH dental insurance, which will pay a max of $2000 in benefits for the calendar year, it’s costing me over $1000 out of pocket for the two root canals and two crowns that I needed. No extra charge for the pain though!

Anyone still reading this is probably freaking out and picturing that scene in Marathon Man where ex-Nazi Laurence Olivier tortures Duston Hoffman with various dental implements and no novacaine. Don’t worry – it wasn’t that bad. In general, having a root canal nowadays is a lot more pleasant than it used to be, and I’ve certainly been through worse procedures. However, in retrospect I certainly wish that I’d taken better care of my teeth when I was broke in my 20s and going to the dentist seemed like a luxury!