Like I Need a Hole in My Head

Image from the awesome and weird My Milk Toof

Today I go to the dentist to remove an impacted wisdom tooth.  I know most people have had their wisdom teeth removed, but mine have never bothered me, plus I didn't have dental insurance from the age of 18 through 28, so it just never happened.  As soon as I started going back to the dentist they began harping on me to get this one tooth removed.  They were shocked I haven't had problems with it yet, and told me over and over I was lucky.

If you're not in the know, an impacted tooth, well, in my case at least, is one that's sideways.  There are several reasons I haven't done anything about it in the last two years: 

1. Because the tooth is sideways, the root with no enamel on it is exposed and can become infected, prompting the need for a root canal (ouch!)  But since I've never had issues, I didn't feel it was imperative.

2. This tooth is REALLY close to a major nerve, but the dentist had a hard time getting a good x-ray to figure out HOW close it was.  They had recommended going to an oral surgeon to get it removed.  This would cost me upwards of $900, depending on if they used local anesthetic only or more.

3. I friggin' hate oral surgery.

My latest cleaning the dentist reminded me yet again I really need to get it removed.  THIS TIME, however, he had new information (new to me, at least. He seemed surprised I didn't already know).  I can have my tooth removed right here at the dentists office, in an hour, using local anesthetic.  With only this tooth removed (the other two are benign or something, I don't know), and not going to a specialist, I should only have to pay a couple of hundred dollars.  They can schedule me whenever, so let's get it done.

Well, that knocked two of my three procrastination reasons out of the running, and honestly the third one is the lamest (although it's also the TRUEST.)

So, today I loose a tooth and gain a hole in the head.  I'm the opposite of looking forward to this.