My Mouth Continues to Be Worth a Helluva Lot More Than I Am. And Another Root Canal / Crown Later, I Could Have Funded 20 Teacher Institutes

When I was a kid, my sisters always checked out clean at the dentist, where I always had to go back for multiple fillings. This continued throughout high school, and then in college I stopped going...until my molars exploded in Louisville...I had them out in an emergency and was told then, "Sir, you need to see a dentist. You have much needing to be taken care of." Well, I discovered University of Louisville Dental School and they worked on me for free - the students needed to get their hours, and lucky for me, my first crown - a gold one - was used for an indigenous dentist to pass her Boards. I was the perfect patient for them to practice on (and my bank account appreciated it)

Granted, once I got insurance I found a good dentist who LOVED giving me laughing gas and I loved receiving it. Moving to CT, I haven't been so fortunate. Still, I found a dentist I like, he retired, and now I have a dentist I love. She's Pippi Longstocking meets Punky Brewster, and I appreciate how fun she is....even if every time I go it costs me a pretty penny...

...this time an emergency root canal (last week) and a temporary crown today. She's an artist, but it is definitely NOT the kind of art I'd ever choose to do. Every time I pay for procedures, I can't help but think how others do it, especially people who aren't paid as much as even teachers. It's just so expensive, and insurance covers so little. 

I've been saying for years, "Just yank them and give me dentures," but they refuse. I just  have to be very frugal to pay some of this down.  It drives me nuts when I get charged by the receptionist at the end. It's bonkers, actually. Ah, but my teeth are my teeth. It comes with the genetics. 

And that's life. Pbbbbllltlttt.