Chewing on the left side

Okay, so yesterday, I went to the periodontist, a very nice Harvard-educated lady, where the waiting room has a MINI-BAR (wow), and she told me that she doesn't know whether I'll need the crown lengthening or the implant. What's the difference? The price. (DEATH WALLET!)

Yeah, the waiting room has a mini-bar. There was a little fridge with bottles of water. There was an automated thermos of hot water, and then a variety of individual servings of Green Mountain coffee and tea (excellent coffee), in a little spinning caddy. Above the bar was a flat screen tv, playing One Life to Live. It made me think, "Maybe I can't afford this place." (DEATH WALLET!)

So we took a digital x-ray (DEATH WALLET) and she looked at it and can't really see how far down the crack goes. Both the crown lengthening (a crown that fits over the root canal but would extend below the gum line) and the implant (remove the entire old tooth and put a screw into my jawbone that has a entire fake tooth screwed into the other end) start out the same way. Basically, she cuts back the gum to reveal roots of the tooth. At that point, she'll have to decide which one is feasible. If it's not too bad, we'll go with the crown lengthening. If the crack extends to the fork in the roots, then the crown lengthening wouldn't necessarily stop a bacterial infection there and the implant is the better way to go.

Because I had a root canal done just last year, MetLife, my dental insurance, won't necessarily cover the cost of the implant. (DEATH WALLET/PANEL/INSURANCE/?) So the crown lengthening, would end up being a cost to me of $152, while the implant, even with the reduced insurance-negotiated cost, is $1689. ... yeah ...

I like my periodontist. She was very nice and honest about the procedure. She says I have excellent gum and hygience. And she was sensitive to how much it was going to cost me. So I guess I'll just have to trust her judgement on it.

No new tires for me.

Meanwhile, I go back to see my dentist/future husband in late September. He must never meet my periodontist because she was way cuter than me. And Harvard-educated, how can I compare with that. Although ... I did go to the same school as his brother. Go VCU RAMS!

In other news, did I tell you that my cousin from Korea is now going to VCU. She's staying in Rhoads Hall. She says she loves Richmond.