Tooth-hurty
What is the best time to go to the dentist?
Yeah, I went there.
I did not realize how much I touched my face at work until the left half of my jaw was swollen up like a squished baseball from an infection in a tooth. It started hurting last week on Tuesday or Wednesday, and by Thursday I had a dental appointment (my first in 11 years) for tomorrow.
Oh my good gracious, I would like to crawl out of my skin. Even with ibuprofen every 5 hours, the pressure is just irritating enough to grate like nails on the chalkboard. I want to take a walk up a nice big hill to chase the pain away under shortness of breath and aching muscles because then I wouldn't think about it.
Here at the office, no matter how busy I stay, I keep bothering it. I keep reminding myself that I should have gotten this looked at 6 months ago when I noticed the piece of tooth or the piece of filling that was missing instead of just switching to chewing only on my right side.
On the bright side, I have never been so good at dental hygiene in my life. I've always brushed and flossed once a day, but now I'm brushing twice, flossing once, remembering my prescription mouthwash, taking my antibiotics, and having dreams about getting an early dentist appointment. Okay, some of that is directly related to the pain, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be keeping up with the brushing, and, unlike me at all, my 6 month checkups.
Because this sucks ass. I have stuck a potato fork through my foot (it's like a pitchfork, and was covered in dirt). I have slammed my back into a concrete culvert and compressed three+ vertebrae. I broke my leg. I sprained an ankle. I punched a wall so hard I bruised my entire hand. I've fallen off bicycles onto gravel and dirt roads.
I hate this so much more than all of that. Never again, my friends. Not if I can prevent it with regular visits and extra toothpaste useage.