There's Always Time for Dental Hygiene...Part 2

So, on to the fillings.

These are the first cavities of my life, so I had a lot...A LOT...of anxiety about having them filled and even more about having them filled in a foreign country.  But it had to be done, so I had to get a grip and do it.

So there were two on each side...I opted to do one side at a time.  Because the fillings were expensive...and because I was worried about not being able to eat.  A girl's got to have priorities! :)

Anyway...it actually ended up being a two visit procedure.



Day 1:
Get to the office and get settled in.   The assistant did a quick cleaning of the area and then the dentist came and in have me the novocaine shot.  So, I'm sitting there stressing about what will happen next (remember, I've never had a filling before) waiting for my mouth to go numb.  However, the assistant is friendly and, even though she doesn't speak much English, she does her best to help me fill at ease.

Finally my mouth is numb and the dentist starts the drilling.  OMG!  The sound...and the smell...and I don't know if its just me, but I swear I could even taste it.  Sure, my mouth is numbed, but I can still feel the pressure from the dentist pushing the drill down.

I can't decide if it was better or worse that they put a cloth over your face.  It has a hole to fit over your mouth so they can work and not splash...uh...tooth bits all over your face.  So it was a little nerve-wracking not being able to see what was coming next, but also a little relaxing because you are sensory-deprived.

Anyway, the drilling is done and the dentist takes a few more pictures with his mouth camera.  Then the assistant took a mold of the area and placed a temporary filling.  Now, after this long, grueling process (which in actuality probably took less than an hour) I'm all done for the day.


Day 2:
I have to go back a week later (I think I could have gone back sooner, but since I have to work and it's a long commute to the dentist it ended up being a week later for me.) to have the second part of the filling done.  The visits could not have been more different.

After getting settled in, the assistant came in and popped out the temporary fillings.  Then the dentist came in and dropped the permanent fillings in and covered them with resin (?).  I don't know...whatever they use for fillings I guess.  Then after the fillings set (which look almost exactly like my natural teeth) I was all set to go.  It took maybe 20 minutes start to finish.