Sunday, June 12, 2011

Is Dental Surgery Ever Nice?

        This week I had some minor dental surgery.  I had a small growth inside my lower lip. It was in a position where I would accidentally bite it about once a month . Of course , the pain and surprise were pretty intense. My dentist took it off in 2002 but it grew back right away.

       So when I went for my regular dental check up in March, I told the dentist about the little growth and asked him about it. He remembered taking it off and was surprised that it grew back and said that he would take it off again and do a "better job."

       All the necessary weapons were laid out and the deed was done on Friday at 11:20 AM and I was home in time for lunch with four sturdy stitches to close the wound. As I was eating lunch I said, "I think these stitches are coming out." Sure enough two stitches had let go and disappeared while I ate lunch. A third stitch disappeared in the afternoon. Now what do I do at six PM on a Friday evening with only one stitch left? So I can phone this dentist after hours. He told me that he would see me in the office on Sat. at 10:00AM. He looked in my mouth and was surprised that the stitches were gone! So this time he put in seven stitches altogether and two different kinds. Guess what? As I was eating lunch I could feel that stitches had given away. By evening I had lost four stitches. So phone my friendly dentist again. This time he said, "It will heal without stitches so let's leave it." The position of the surgery was were there is much movement of lips and teeth. As I said the location is exactly where my teeth meet so the teeth would catch on the stitches ans soon loosen them.

     Now getting the growth cut out was not a problem but getting eleven stitches leaves your lip full of twenty-two little holes that HURT. So I learned a lesson and my dentist also learned a lesson about the challenge to put stitches in a lip.

10 comments:

  1. Ow! I hope it is healing all right now, Red. Dental surgery is NEVER fun, but your post was quite entertaining. :-)

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  2. I'm glad that you found some humor in the post. I sometimes feel that I'm whining and I don't mean to be a whiner. It was just rather surprising that the stitches pulled out. Usually stitches are rock solid.

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  3. OUCH! My lip hurt the whole time I was reading this!!!

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  4. It was well frozen so it wasn't too bad. I have a really great dentist. But I'm happy you reallyfelt my pain. Oh what a writer I am!!

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  5. Blue!
    I could tell you some weird and unbelivable tales of my youthful experience with the dentists!
    One is responsible for my having false teeth since the age of 10!
    Circa 1953 - I am pleased to inform you that he was
    de-registered very shortly after.
    He cost my family a packet, fiddle here, fiddle there and all ended up a mess! I dread to think how much money over the years, I have placed in the bank accounts of these tooth-pullers! And boy oh boy, how they can charge here in Australia!
    I suppose they are a necessary "evil", but they are all money making machines (MMM) for themselves.
    Thankfully I have not, and will never, have them sewing me up! Next time try a "vet", animal doctors will do a better sewing up job!
    Oh yes, try and keep a "stiff upper lip" - ha ha.
    Cheers from Brisbane (Quacksville),
    Australia.
    Colin (HB)

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  6. I have given dentists a fair chunk of change over my life time but it's my own fault. A love for pop and candy bars and little dental hygiene taught at home contributed to some major problems. My dentist is a very competent guy. He takes good care of me.
    Yes, dentists are expensive here. We have dental insurance.
    I'm not too surre if I want to try a vet. My brother in law was a capable vet but I still wouldn't want him caring for me.
    I don't know if the upper lip is too stiff but it gets loose some times!
    Have a great day!

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  7. You poor thing! What a story. Are you healing up, then?

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  8. Dental care is so important. I have a hospice client with pneumonia. I think it is aspiration pneumonia. Where his teeth are black, they haven't been cleaned, and the bacteria in inhaled into the lungs where it grows and festers. I have reported the home where he is housed, but so far no one seems to care.

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  9. Jenn, I'm fine! Healing nicely. I don't take these issues too seriously so don't feel sorry for me although I do appreciate your concern. Thanks.

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  10. Jenn, I'm sure you run into absolute horror stories and some of them extremely sad.

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