Who Would Hvve Thought??

Three weeks ago, I went to the dentist because one of my molars was hurting.  The tooth had done this a couple of years ago, and at that time the dentist thought that eventually, a root canal would have to be done.  The time finally came, and he did the root canal on that visit.  He said there was “no good tissue” in the tooth, and I could tell from the odor that it was in bad shape.  He gave me an antibiotic and some pain pills and told me to see him again in a week.

After several days of rather severe pain, dulled only by Tylenol #3 and Lortab, I went back to see him.  He had by this time received a couple of calls from me, and had changed my antibiotic.  He said it was still infected and needed to heal some more before he filled the tooth and sealed it.  I went back after another week, and he said the same thing, only this time he was going on vacation for two weeks.

It’s been a week into his vacation and I’ve already seen the “substitute” dentist who agreed to see his patients if needed while he was away.  I have yet another new antibiotic I’m trying and am back on the pain medications after having several days when I could go without.  I’m ready for this to be over.

Yet I have to put my experiences with this tooth in the context of the First World that I talk about some, and how this same thing might play out with someone who lives in the third world.  First, I may well not be alive at my age if I lived in the third world.  Second, if I was alive, I may well not have ANY teeth by now.  Third, if I had teeth, and if one was infected, a dentist, antibiotics, and pain medication would be luxuries that I could only imagine.  If I did manage to see someone who worked on teeth, whether a Dentist or not, the tooth probably would be pulled and I’d be left to deal with the aftermath of infection, bleeding, and pain.

The active ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen, and the active ingredient in Motrin, ibuprofen, are common medications in the homes of most people in the first world.  Aspirin is also very common.  We pop those pills for twinges of back pain, minor arthritis, headache, and any number of other things that make our bodies not quite normal.

We can obtain antibiotics at the local pharmacy, with prescription, for just a few dollars unless it’s a new, high-powered one of some kind.  The old standbys are plenty cheap, however.  And insurance pays most of the cost anyway.

And we can usually get in to see a provider without a lot of difficulty.  I went to the office at 1:30pm, and was told that if I wanted to wait around, there was an opening at 2:30 and the dentist would see me.  So I waited and read a Readers Digest after filling out the new patient forms.  I realize some rural areas and “backwoods” areas are a little less accommodating and have fewer providers, but by and large, most of our population has someone available, if necessary.  And dental insurance pays most of the cost.

Hopefully, things will improve with this new antibiotic and with what she did to my tooth.  Hopefully, I’ll feel better and can go until my dentist gets back and I fulfill my appointment with him next Wednesday.  Hopefully, I won’t have to ask for more Tylenol #3 or Lortab.  Hopefully, I won’t have to ask to see the substitute Dentist again.  But I know those things are available to me if I need them.

Sincerely thankfully, I happen to be blessed with living in the First World.  Who would have thought??