I brush at least twice a day and floss every day. I see my dentist regularly and never neglect my dentition. My husband on the other hand is not so good at this stuff. He doesn’t want to go to my dentist (even though my dentist gives the best numbing shots west of the Mississippi and I am TERRIFIED of needles in my gums).
He would rather go to his childhood dentist although he still doesn’t make appointments as needed. He brushes yes, flosses occasionally, but overall he is not the poster child for 1-800-DENTIST. He, however, has very nice teeth. White, straight, healthy gums.

Here’s where genetics and luck come in. Many times when I go to the dentist, I think everything is fine. Nothing hurts, nothing is sensitive to temperature, nothing bothers me. Then my dentist goes around poking and says, “Oh, we need to replace this filling or that filling.” Gwar!!! I hate it!

My husband, on the other hand, actually had a toothache not that long ago. Neener, neener, neener, I mocked and chanted at him. Finally! Justice! You have a cavity! You have neglected your teeth and they are punishing you in return! HA! (Not the most mature, but I felt that finally the dentition gods had recognized his FTF:  failure to floss.)

So my beloved makes an appointment, goes to the dentist, and they do the whole she-bang. X-rays, poking around, looking, inspecting, etc. They find nothing! You know what the dentist says? “Looks like you pulled a tendon near your tooth.” He gets a pat on the back and he’s out on his merry way. No shots, no filling, no cavity.

The dentition gods hate me.

Rebekah Child

Rebekah Child attended the University of Southern California for her bachelor's in nursing and decided to brave the academic waters and return for her master's in nursing education, graduating in 2003 from Mount St. Mary's. Rebekah has also taught nursing clinical and theory at numerous Southern California nursing schools and has been an emergency nurse since 2002. She is currently one of the clinical educators for an emergency department in Southern California and a student (again!) in the doctoral program at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Recent Posts

Leadership Qualities for Students

When we discuss students, we always mention their qualities. Those qualities show what they are…

12 months ago

A Comprehensive Guide to Dual Diagnosis Treatment Options

If you or someone you know is juggling mental health issues alongside substance abuse, understanding…

12 months ago

How To Take Care Of Your Mental Health While Following The News

For the last couple of weeks, the Israel-Hamas conflict has taken over the news cycle.…

12 months ago

Eyes on the Future: Innovations in Eye Treatment Lenses

Our eyes are invaluable, serving as our windows to the world. The ability to see…

12 months ago

Vision Issues Are on The Rise Among Nurses: Why and What to Do About It

Undoubtedly, one of the most demanding and challenging professions is nursing. Nurses work long hours in…

12 months ago

Echocardiography as a Diagnostic Tool: How Cardiologists Use Echo to Assess Heart Health

Echocardiography, or echo for short, is a key diagnostic test used by cardiologists to assess…

1 year ago