A History of Bad Teeth

Look away children, it's a snaggle-toothed freak! If you look closely, you might just be able to catch a glimpse of the touch of gray in my beard. I had dental appointment today with my new dentist. I quit using my old dentist because it was hard to get a timely appointment with him and since he was very busy, he felt okay about raising his rates on a regular basis. Also, because he has a thriving practice, he doesn't feel the need to contract with insurance companies as a preferred provider. The old dentist had detailed a comprehensive plan to correct what ails my teeth, the new guy said about the same things were needed. My teeth are basically passable, but they are not cosmetically pleasing. Personally, I don't really care that much, but terrified children, their parents and assorted pets would appreciate me gussying up the old choppers. My goal is to die with my own teeth, a feat neither of my parents managed. Growing up, dental care was not a priority in my home, beer was. In fact, I never went to the dentist, except for one time when one of my molars was so rotten that my folks took me to the emergency room, where someone pulled it out. Medical care was much more folksy in the old days. I believe the old man stopped for a cold one on the way home, while I waited in the car, with a gauze pack in my mouth. I did not have any routine dental care until I was 19 and could pay for it myself. By that time, I had several cavities so big, that they had destroyed their host tooth, necessitating extraction. In addition, at age 8, I fell off a bike and broke off one of my front teeth. The tooth died, leaving me with a black half tooth. I was a sight to behold. My mother actually told me that bleeding gums were a sign of healthy teeth. Even as a kid I didn't buy that story. Over the years, I have gotten several crowns, caps on two front teeth and fillings in most of the others. The plan is to now crown some of the teeth with older fillings and to get three bridges to replace missing molars. Plus my natural teeth have darkened with age, but the caps on the two fronts have not, so it may be necessary to recap all four of my front teeth. The lovely Mrs. Sneed and I both have dental insurance, so I am hopeful that they will cover a sizable portion of the 10 grand or so that this is likely to cost. Today I just got a cleaning and an evaluation of what future work will be needed. You know it was an uneventful day when I am reduced to talking about my teeth. Merle Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong and sometimes just full of it. Tag: Daily Life Personal Finance Humor