Kick In The Teeth

Well, crap. Last week, insurance paperwork, billings and all from the first of the year finally worked all the way through the mill and I sent off the usual $900+ check to Cleveland Clinic to settle my annual out-of-pocket requirements. Hooray, no more unknowns, just the usual copays, prescriptions and incidentals for the rest of the year.

But wait! Yesterday I went to the dentist for a regularly-scheduled cleaning, and we found yet another cracked tooth. The rear right lower molar has cracks in all four directions, plus a couple of chips, plus decay along the edge of a filling that went in about 3 years ago. That's 3 cracked teeth in the last 2 years, folks. Some of my other teeth are now developing chips on their cutting edges, too. And the remedy for a cracked tooth, of course, is another crown. Crap!!!

Vivian asked, "Do you grind your teeth?" "No, I don't think so ..." "Well, what about dry mouth from your medications?" Oh, yes, indeed - what about dry mouth?

Dr. K doesn't think that there have been any studies about the relation between dry mouth, cancer medications, and dental problems. I'm ready to believe it, though - I have always taken care of my teeth, and I'm stunned by the amount of dental work I've had to go through in the last 3 years. Saliva acts as a lubricant, and without it the teeth bang against each other - grinding without grinding, as it were.

My schedule stinks, as does my bank account; I'm going to put off getting the crown as long as I can. For now I've got a prescription toothpaste, Colgate PreviDent 5000 Dry Mouth, Biotene mouthwash samples, and strict instructions to brush and floss religiously, and chew carefully. We may look into some sort of mouthguard as well, in the meantime. And I think I'll start doing some reading up in the dental literature too. At least the toothpaste doesn't make me gag, so far.