Getting to know the Dentist

 

The line of people are polite, and wait their turns 6 feet apart, most wearing masks. These two women at the front desk were together.

The Dental Clinic is part of medical services for low cost in downtown in Asheville. So I'm in a waiting area with other folks, some of whom are going for a doctor's appointment. This last week the dentist called me in because they found a cavity in a recent X-ray. I sat in the waiting room about an hour, which was a lot longer than usual. But my dentist is so upbeat and cheerful, as well as understanding, that I was willing to wait for her. Last month I noticed a sign which said the clinic was under-staffed due to COVID. I didn't see it this time.

I'm very grateful that I have dental insurance as part of my medicare plan.

After the assistant showed me in, I waited quite a while for anyone to come help me. It seems the assistant wasn't feeling well, after having her COVID booster shot that day. So another assistant was called in. 

My dentist talks all the while, which kind of takes my mind off things. But it wasn't until later she said my assistant had been sick, and that she also has MS and is getting an infusion soon, which was why she needed to have the booster.

Later my dentist also told me that she herself had had COVID and since then had been having heart palpitations, so was wearing a heart monitor (she showed me) at that very time! I hope she'll be ok. We both commiserated about the discomfort women have during a heart echo test...that the technician has to push so hard against our breast to see some areas of the heart. I do hope she is going to be alright.

I however ended up with half my face swollen up from a bit of infection from the Novocain needle site. I switched to lots of warm teas and soups, until it went down. I also used good old antibiotics! Wearing a mask in public meant  nobody noticed it at least!

Today's quote:

​Walls turned sideways are bridges.

ANGELA DAVIS