Maybe Anh should have chosen dental school over medicine? I'm sure he's having the same thoughts after our family's latest dental visit! Anh only required a simple cleaning, and I started off with a clear report, no cavities or apparent issues. Our dentist saved the big whammy for the last few minutes of my exam when she started discussing options to address an aging filling I received as a teenager. It seems the filling is starting to breakdown, and the dentist's advice is to replace the filling with a crown before the situation progresses and becomes painful. I agreed. If we can avoid pain, let's be proactive. Then, I learned the crown will cost me $1300. I thought we were trying to avoid pain! I winced at the thought of writing that check!
Sadly, the news only got worse. My dentist asked me whether I was aware that I grind my teeth. I confessed that my past dentists had mentioned there is evidence of the bad behavior, but had never seemed concerned about it. This new dentist feels I should have been fitted with a protective mouthpiece to wear at night that would provide some protection for my teeth from the grinding. She advised me to consider the protective mouthpiece at a minimum, but stressed her advice would ultimately be to see a specialist that would be able to determine a surgical solution to stop the behavior all together. Surgery? What?! No, let's talk more about that mouthpiece. I was thinking plastic mouthpiece similar to what athletes wear for protection. Cheap, simple, effective. Oh no! My mouthpiece is going to cost me $650 and depending on the severity of my grinding, it will last anywhere from 4 MONTHS to 2 or 3 years. "You've got to be kidding me!!!" was all I could think at that moment. Still, I'm thinking that's a better alternative to having my jaw broken & reset.
Thinking the worst was over and at most I was looking at having to shell out approximately $2000 to have my issues resolved, I felt mildly relieved. I was trying to be positive and reminded myself that for more than 10 years I never had a single dental expense outside of regular cleanings. I was due for some work, right? Plus, neither issue was new. I was aware of both problems. Sure it would suck to fork over so much money for something like dental work, but that's life. At least it's stuff that can be fixed before it gets worse & costs even more, sort like home maintenance.
Well, then it was Jax's turn. Again, we were off to a good start when the dentist declared that he was cavity-free! Woo hoo! The only thing of concern on his x-rays was that his nasal cavities appeared to be inflamed. The dentist suggested we schedule an appointment for Jax with an ENT to rule out the need to schedule him for surgery to remove his adenoids. What?! More surgery?!? I guess we'll wait to see what the ENT says before stressing over the unknown. An appointment to discuss Jax's frequent nosebleeds and allergies was in order anyway. We'll just add this newly discovered swelling to the growing list of ailments.
Next, the dentist wanted to discuss Jax's underbite. She diagnosed it as a class III and said more than likely Jax will need to be fitted with a retainer and reverse headgear as soon as his 6-year old permanent molars come in. This will help pull his upper mandible forward and even out his bite. Otherwise, we're looking at surgery to correct the problem when he's older. By then, I was thinking, "What is it with this dentist and surgery?!" Ultimately, I felt better when she told me that Jax's underbite was inherited from his father. She knew this because she had examined Anh earlier that day and taken his full dental history which involved an extended period in braces to correct an underbite. Ahh ha! I knew it. It's Anh's fault. That's usually the case!
(An example of the headgear. Yes, that's Dakota Fanning. Even celebrities have underbites.)
I couldn't pin everything on Anh, however. The dentist felt a need to share that Jax also grinds his teeth. Apparently, I don't have to take the blame for that trait quite yet. The dentist assured me that most children grind their teeth, and she was not advising me to purchase a ridiculously expensive mouthpiece for Jax as well. Well, that was a freakin' relief! Although, something tells me the retainer and headgear won't be cheap! Oh, and before you're horrified about poor Jax's self-esteem when he's finally fitted with the contraption, let me pass along that he will only be required to wear it at home and probably for not more than 6 months. I guess that's not so bad when you consider the alternative is jaw-breaking surgery. Again, what is it with this dentist and her threats of future jaw-breaking for both me and Jax? Maybe we need a second opinion. Yes, I think a second opinion is in order. Just to be safe...
No, that's not Jaxon, but rather Baylor sporting the shirt that we used to announce that I was pregnant with the kiddo we now know as Baylor. Yes, you got it! We are indeed expecting kiddo #3!!! And, since I'm sharing the news with the world so late in the game, I can also announce that I will forever be doomed to a lifetime of raised toilet seats because IT'S A BOY!!! Yay!!! Anh & I are very excited to say the least. We will soon welcome our third son, and after multiple ultrasounds, I can share that there is ZERO chance that we need anything pink and our little boy is happy and healthy as he waits to make his debut!
