Dentist Appointment in 2020s

Yesterday was a very stressful day for me—not so much because I was tired, but because I was worried about my health, the costs, and everything that comes with it. It was pretty windy, and that seemed to affect my lungs. Using the steam inhaler helped relax the tightness, though.

I’m thinking more and more that my lung tightness is climate- and weather-related, but I’m still going to do the dosage experiment. Today was a little breezy, but after coming home, my lungs haven’t been tight at all, so that’s good.

At the dentist, she finished the other half of the deep cleaning (damn that fucking accent of hers to hell!) and accidentally knocked off the crown that was recemented on my very back bottom molar last November. It was an old crown, and it shattered. I’m glad that if it had to come off, it happened there! They took an X-ray, and the dentist looked at it and decided it was fine for now as is. It does feel a little weird, though, and since it would cost less than $100 for a straightforward extraction, assuming that’s all it’d be, I’m going to call a few weeks before my next appointment at the end of next month to see about getting it pulled while I’m there. Not only is it way cheaper than a new crown, but I just don’t need that tooth. The very back bottom and upper teeth on the other side are gone and I do just fine without them.

In six weeks, I have a maintenance appointment, and she mentioned that for the first year after a deep cleaning, you go in every four months instead of six—something she neglected to tell me the first time around.

She also told me to stop using the prescription mouthwash in a week because it can stain teeth. Instead, she suggested dipping floss in it twice a week since it’s an antibacterial solution and flossing with it. Ever since I pulled off a crown in California, I’ve had a bit of a complex about flossing. But she said I don’t have to pull the floss back up after pushing it down—I can just slide it out. Now that I know that, I’ll use regular floss in addition to my Waterpik.

For a moment, I was worried there were going to be additional costs because of the broken crown. Then, when I was checking out, the girl at the desk said she couldn’t find the second payment that completed the deep cleaning. Thankfully, she eventually found it, and he had a copy of the transaction on his phone.

He hasn’t done Prolific in a while because he’s been making extra money with phone games. He said some are good and some aren’t, but mostly, it’s a tedious process. I might like it better, though, because I can do it at any time of day or night and don’t have to deal with surveys that include tough math questions or topics I know nothing about. My Prolific profile says I’m retired and don’t drive, yet they still send me surveys about car insurance and various work-related topics. I can access Prolific 24/7, but at certain times of the day, there are hardly any surveys. The app games, though, are always available.

I finished the challenge yesterday, so now I’m back on my own ride. I’m still in Poland with 1,150 miles left to go.

A large truck with a kayak on top has been parked at Hotel Honker for the last couple of nights. I guess both daughters are visiting because one left in the kayak truck, and shortly after, he and his other daughter left in his own truck. He definitely seems to be overdoing the visitor limit, but I’m not saying anything. As long as they stay quiet, I don’t care. Still can’t wait for those flags to come down! I always know his departure is getting close when they do. At least it’s getting a little late in the season for him to start any new projects. And there are only so many more days I’ll have to hear that motorcycle since he’s got about a month left here.

Anyway, my gums are a little sore, just like they were after the other side was cleaned, but I was still able to enjoy some Chinese food after the appointment. I got barbecue ribs with pork fried rice and an egg roll. Tinkerbella had a bit of everything, and of course, she loved it—even the fortune cookies.