Dental Work Done!

One Day at a Time

That was the last of it today. All total . . . about $6,000 over the course of 10 months, all out of pocket. My next cleaning is in September, so I don’t have to go back until then, unless of course something happens . . . like I chip a tooth again or something.

Today’s appointment was the first time I got to use my dental insurance. Since I became full time at work, I now have dental insurance. Would have been nice to have it nearly a year ago when all this started. Also, this shit never would have been as bad as it was had I been seeing a dentist regularly. I’m taking much better care of my teeth now than I used to. The dentist says it’s just my enamel, but I know I could have done better when I was younger. I have a prescription strength fluoride mouthwash I am using every day. Also, I’ve heard about oil of oregano, so I went to Earthfare (a local organic/health food store) and I picked me up some. There’s a chemical in oil of oregano called Carvacrol (cymophenol is the actual chemical name, it’s a phenol, which for anyone who never took Organic Chemistry, just means it’s dominant chemical property is the presence of a carboxylic acid group CO-OH), and it kills many types of bacteria . . . to include 25 types of periodontopathic bacteria. Yes, it kills the bacteria that eat the sugar and produce the acid (it’s actually the acid waste produced by the live bacteria that dissolves tooth enamel). Kill the bacteria, no acid, no tooth decay. To me, that’s easier than getting rid of sugar, because you can’t completely do that. One of my biggest weaknesses is the fact that I have to have a sugary soda to sip on all day long. It could be why my teeth have been in bad shape but I really don’t want to give that up. What will I drink? Diet soda? I’ve heard the phosphoric acid in diet soda is just as bad for your teeth. Water? Hell no. Water is tasteless at best, bitter at worst, and it gives me no energy when I’m trying to make it 5 hours on no breakfast until lunch time (at work). Sugar is great energy. OK, so this chemical in the oil of oregano, It even kills the Ecoli bacteria (not that I expect to be getting any of that, but just to show you how powerful it is). I thought . . . a couple of applications a day couldn’t hurt. I can even swallow it because it’s non toxic. Even is said to have some antioxidant activity.

It would have been nice to have the dental insurance a lot sooner. Things have a way of working out though and I attribute that to my God. Think what you will, but that’s what I believe. Sure, I was not able to save money all this time. Not much, anyway. But I was never once was at a point where I couldn’t afford to get the work done (now sometimes I projected, thinking I would get to that point, but I never actually did). I did NOT have to get my parents to help me. I had the money that I needed. Not a great deal more, but I had all I needed. God knows me for sure. Any large sum in a savings account would just go to my head. My god would become the money. Even if it was just $2000, $3000, $4000, I would still look at that savings account and it would consume me . . . watching it grow. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." (Luke 16:10KJV) Before God will bless me with the greater things, I believe this is an important lesson to learn . . . that money is not the "object". Learn to trust God with your needs and don’t worship your money when you make little. And then I’ll be able to do the same when I’m making a lot more. My teeth (and the quality of life that comes from having them) are so much more valuable than money.

Just one added thing to clarify . . . for the longest time, before I had to get all this dental work, it was greatly important to me to have money saved up . . . as if somehow my EGO could be saved by the knowledge that the size of my savings account could make up for the fact that I didn’t make that much money (since I’m WAY underemployed). Being underemployed has been a blow to my ego, so I tried to fix that by saving a lot of money. Pride is truly the root of all evil, not money. I stand by that firmly. The only reason I want money is because it props up my ego. If I have a lot of savings, I’ll feel more secure, I’ll feel better about myself and my prospects. I will have fewer worries. But that’s ego because I’m relying on my own power, and the power of material things, not the power of God.

From now on, any dental work should be cheaper due to the insurance. But hopefully, I won’t have to have nearly the amount in the future as I have in the past.

-AR