My most dreaded appointment tomorrow. Dentist. ugg.

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Its amazing how we can create our own anxieties when we don't need to. I've always looked at life like "This has to be done, and time doesn't care if I am anxious or not". The unplanned or unexpected is the scariest part of life, but also the most intriguing.

 

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I told my dentist that I may need to get up during whatever procedure he’s doing. He said to just raise my hand and he’ll stop right away so I can run to the bathroom. They are usually very understanding.

 

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I always wear a diaper to my dental appointments, usually a ConfiDry 24/7. I can get a cleaning done in about a half hour, so a pull-up might do it. But for anything longer, I need the thickness of a diaper or I'll be walking out with wet pants! I usually wear my pants a size or two larger than I need, and with a shirt un-tucked, there is no noticeable diaper bulge. When I had a crown put in last spring, I was there almost an hour and a half, and my diaper was quite wet by the time I left.

My dentist has many older patients, and I suspect several of them go there diapered. I've actually seen one older woman who was obviously padded when she got there. (I was seated in the waiting area and she was standing right in front of me at the counter, so it was quite noticeable.) It made me feel better that I wasn't the only one.

 

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My next appointment is the long one. I will be getting fillings or whatever they can do to fix my teeth. I will have to get there early so I can park.

The dentist is going to do whatever he can and has a few things that he can do that my Medicaid will pay for so that I can save my teeth.

I already talked to him about everything going on with my health so it should be okay. My biggest issue is that I have had more urine leaking lately so I have started just wearing a full diaper when I am going places I don't know where all the bathroom stops are.

Next month there are a few things going on around where I live that I want to check out so I am going to take more risks but I have accepted that I have to step up what I am wearing.

I am going to get and order some MegaMax soon.

 

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My Dr made it clear years ago that if I stay on Oxybutynin I'd have to see the dentist twice as much so I'm constantly (every 3-4 months) having my teeth looked at. If anyone takes Oxybutynin I highly suggest you go more frequently (proactive) versus waiting (reactive), that's when the visits are typically much longer.

 

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@CES97 Yep, I took a lot of Oxybutynin for 2-3 years and it destroyed my previously very healthy teeth. A new (greedy) dentist yesterday told me every tooth needs to be crowned, what a joke. My old dentist, who just retired, never said that. He and my endodontist said that eventually that will happen over time, but the new jerk is clearly in a rush to get rich. Not on my watch! I’ll never go to him again! He’s only been in practice for three years. I sure wish my old guy hadn’t retired. He was 80 and recently had a heart attack, so he certainly deserves to retire.

 

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Hi @snow, please find another dentist ASAP!!!! A crown for every tooth???? That's insane!!!! Not to mention criminal! This new guy is clearly out to make as much money as possible by taking advantage of everyone he can! Guys like that deserve to be driven out of business!!!He clearly has no business getting your business!!! Is there a state dental board that you can report him to????

 

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@billliveshere Yes, there’s a state dental board I know about because I reported my old dentist for unsanitary COVID procedures - his office is where I got COVID, which kept me down for almost six months. So yes, perhaps I’ll turn the new guy in. I have no idea why my old guy sold his practice to the new guy; perhaps he was in a hurry to do so after his heart problems.

 

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Fortunately I have a wonderful elderly friend who was a dental hygienist with a masters, and who taught other hygienists in college while also being a hygienist herself. She knows most of the dentists around here and will help me choose a new one who is on my plan. She is how I found the old, good guy. She is a treasure in so many ways. She’s actually the mom of one of my best friends from elementary school. Even though she’s my mom’s age, she’s reminds me more of my lovely grandmothers. I just spent last weekend staying with, and helping, her.

 

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@snow Sorry you went through that, sounds awful. Its disgusting how some refuse to take any accountability or precautions, making this pandemic worse. Hopefully you are not having any long term covid effects like some.

 

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@ICGamer My cough lasted 5-6 months and the brain fog lasted 9 months but I’ve felt like my old self since early August. I’m still missing 10-15% of my taste and smell, but it’s way better than having none! I’m very grateful I don’t have worse symptoms, like poor SciFiFan. But my experience was still traumatic. The cough was so severe I coughed as much as I didn’t cough and threw up from it at least once a day for three months - great diet plan! I couldn’t go out into the cold air, talk, or be active, because those all made my cough worse. I had to stay in one room with a closed door, right next to a humidifier, so I could breathe. It totally sucked and was majorly depressing. I had a new (used) car but couldn’t even go out to drive it. The vaccine is what finally turned it around, thankfully. I’ve kept off the weight I lost, which is awesome, but still, it was a horrible winter. Usually I stay active with snowsports and avoid winter depression that way, but I couldn’t do anything until the last week of April/mid-May. It’s such a huge relief to feel better!!!!!!! I thought it would never end and it made me feel suicidal, particularly combined with the capitol riot, which was one of my sickest days. Whew. I made it out. As the Buddhists say, one can’t know pleasure without also knowing suffering. I’ve had one of the best summers of my life!

 

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Glad you made a recovery from it. I think this crisis has made people live their lives fuller on a bittersweet note.. On my end I am not sure if the heart issues were from Covid or from just being a teenage idiot for awhile, but the why doesn't matter really. I wouldn't wish it on anyone and in this case yes I also sympathize with SciFiFan. I think I had trouble breathing and heart issues for about a month, but this coexisted during the mass layoffs. Even taking a short 10 minute walk was a struggle. The long term ramifications of this plague as I will call it, hopefully will be understood sooner rather than later.

 

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@ICGamer I am fully with you and appreciate your wisdom. I’m sorry about your heart and breathing problems.

 

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Hi @snow, @ICGamer and @Sci_Fi_Fan, here's wishing all of you continued recovery from covid and much better and brighter days ahead! And it should be a no-brainer that everybody needs to take precautions and also get those shots!!!! If we could all just make up our minds to do that then we can relegate this covid to the dustbin where it belongs for once and for all!!!