From one extreme to the other

I'm not entirely sure what is at the root of it but I've never really liked going to the dentist.  I remember explaining once when I was 3-4 years old to an adult why my some of my teeth were so badly stained and filled with cavities and saying something to the effect of "when my parents first came to Canada they didn't know that it was bad to give me sweetened milk so it rotted all of my teeth.  They know better now".  I must have heard one of my parents give the same answer at some point.  Eventually they took me to see a dentist regularly and he had to pull, drill and cap my baby teeth like there was no tomorrow so that those cavity ridden babies wouldn't affect my incoming adult teeth.

In retrospect, all of those dental visits probably saved me from having all sorts of gum and tooth related issues later on although I still developed crowding issues that were left unaddressed.  To my much younger self it was probably rather excruciating though.  So much so that I didn't seek professional dental help for a rather lengthy period of time after I finished high school.  Honestly I don't know if I was more afraid of needing and having to endure dental treatment itself or that I was just embarrassed about the condition of my teeth.

Fast forward several years and it's a complete turnaround in behavior.  I've probably had my teeth cleaned about 4 times in the past year.  Two of which were follow up cleanings as the dentist/hygienist hadn't gotten to cleaning all of my teeth during the previous session and one of which took place right after I had my wisdom teeth out and just before I had my molds done for invisalign (I had some trouble keeping them clean as I was trying to avoid the extraction sites).  Between cleanings, invisalign consultations and fittings and the like, and wisdom teeth extraction (including pre and post operation visits) I've probably seen as many or more dental professionals in the past year then I've seen in my entire life. 

Having said that - I just booked myself into a 3 hour cleaning session at the local dental school.  Yes, me.  The girl who used to avoid seeing dentists as much as possible is making an effort to have her teeth cleaned without even being asked to make an appointment.  I think it may be a combination of genetics (my dentist thinks that there may be a chemical reason as to why plaque seems to builds up on my teeth faster than on others), my crowded teeth, wearing invisalign and possibly my brushing/flossing technique but I've noticed a couple of deposits of tartar/plaque right below my gumline.  I wouldn't have thought much of it before but I really want my teeth to be in tip top shape for the wedding and don't want to take any risks.

Ok...that explains why I need a cleaning but why a three hour cleaning you might ask?  Well, while I have a great dental plan, it only covers 12 units of scaling and having had my teeth cleaned so many times in the past year for various reasons, my insurance won't cover anymore cleaning until the next benefit year which starts in July.  Given that I'm really scrimping and saving right now because of the upcoming wedding, my bright idea was to go to the local dental school for an extra cleaning to save some money (hopefully it will be less than half of the usual $300 CDN that my regular dentist charges, 80% of which my insurance would have normally covered).  Of course while the price is reduced, I'll have to pay for it with my time.  I guess it's a way for my frugal side can find a happy compromise with my slightly dental hygiene obsessed self.  Anyhow - my cleaning is set for Monday which is coincidentally tray change day so I'll have to check to see if my teeth shift very much after having them out for three hours before putting the new ones in.       

When I think about it, getting braces, if you really want to reap the benefits is quite the lifestyle change and over the past year I've made a lot of changes teethwise.  Even if my teeth are only mostly straight by the end of my treatment, my teeth will be way better shape and better cared for than they've ever been.