A visit to the dentist

I saw my dentist today. I had two very, very tiny cavities near the gumline on my upper teeth on the inside. Many of the pills I take cause dry mouth, and dry mouth can cause cavities. I'm now trying to use a specially-designed toothpaste, mouthwash, and gel at night. I hope this helps.

Getting the cavities filled wasn't so bad. The dentist numbed the area where the needles go in before giving me the freezing, which helped a lot. The freezing still burned as it went up the nerves but it didn't hurt when the needle first went in. The only bad part was at the end, when they cured the filling. They use some kind of heat lamp and the hygenist rested it against my gums, which hurt. I had to say ow a few times before the hygenist moved the lamp. She's new and is covering for someone who is going on mat leave. She's also not my normal hygenist, thank goodness. She didn't seem sensitive to my mouth in a way that the other hygenists are. Maybe she'll get better.

I've also decided to pay to get my teeth whitened. My teeth are kind of yellow and I'm self-conscious about that. We took tray impressions; the dentist will have trays made up and will give me a strong gel that will bleach the teeth much faster and better than anything over-the-counter. I will need to bleach for about 2 weeks for a few hours in the afternoon or evening, which should be doable. After that, I will need to touch up for a few days every couple of years. I pick up my trays next Tuesday. I won't be able to have coffee while bleaching, though :(

Yeah, I know, I'm playing into the hype about yellow teeth, and that yellowish teeth are a natural sign of aging. I don't want crazy chicklet-white teeth, I just want whiter teeth. They'll help me look younger :)