Review of West Denver Dentist & Dr. Mike Unser - Going to the Dentist is not that bad!

Dr. Mike Unser of West Denver Dentistry was referred to me by a friend more than a year ago and I have to say, he is the best dentist I have EVER had.  I have had dentists in the military and since then, I have been shopping around for dentists because it seems I always met quacks.  There was one near my house (can't defame them) but horrible!  Same thing with this other lady I tried in Lakewood--- she was horrible and their billing practices literally made my stomach turn. 

Dr. Baumgartner and Unser of West Denver Dentist are on the corner of Wadsworth and 20th and I have to say, not only are their hygienists knowledgeable and well-trained, the entire office atmosphere is amazing.  You are welcome from the beginning, billing issues are handled by Darcy and she is fabulous!  I have to say, in my years of experience with dentists in the military and outside of it, this is the best dental office I have encountered.  I would recommend them in a heartbeat! 

They also see kids and put them at ease.  Dr. Unser is a proud dad and makes all patients feel welcome.  Show them this and print out the below coupon, and tell them that Clueless in Colorado sent you to get a $20 credit as well.   You won't regret it!  

Going to the dentist does not have to be all bad.... sure, some of it is bad- the drilling, the vibration of the drill, etc., but if you have a dentist that warrants his work and stands behind it with confidence, it sure does make it a whole heck of a lot easier!

Real-Life Assman

If you have watched Seinfeld, you are all too familiar with the antics of the show and the episode where Kramer gets the wrong license plate. He gets the personalized license plate of a proctologist and is able to park in a doctor’s parking spot and enjoy other perks until the real ASSMAN finds out there was a mix-up at the DMV and Kramer gleefully returns the plate, sharing a few antics and laughs with the Proctologist. “There’s a one in a million chance, doc- one in a million.” In any case, in real life, since natural childbirth, I have had some interesting issues in that department – mainly the pelvic floor, the perineum area (which tears or is given an episiotomy). In any case, I have been seeking care for my issues since before pregnancy but of course, child birth exacerbated the issues even more.

So, I have had the pleasure of visiting some doctors who specialize in the rectal area and with that, comes all the joy and pains associated with that area of your body. In any case, it has been quite the experience. There are always long waits associated with meeting these docs and at the end of the long wait, unlike a long line at Disneyworld, there is not joy and amazement and exhilaration but rather, just pain and a big fat bill for the treatment you received. The waiting room for Colon, Rectal doctors is often crowded. Today was no different – what do you say to the guy who just walked in and said hello to you? It is odd- we are both there for very private and strange issues. You look around and you see young, old, middle-aged individuals – male and female and you think, wow! This is a hot industry. In any case, it is always embarrassing and you hope you do not see someone you knew. Can you imagine running into an ex-boyfriend at the butt doctor’s? ARGH!

Then, at your first visit, the med tech often takes you in and talks with you about what is about to happen – as if waiting in the waiting room for 30 minutes was not bad enough, now I am being lectured to about my ass by a technician who is probably going to laugh about this later. Then, you wait again and again… until finally he or she appears- the real-life ASSMAN. It is quite the experience and I think to work in that industry, you have to have a sense of humor. This particular experience was interesting – there was something new- I had to wear MOON pants. They are these little short like things that open with a flap in the back – okay, come on! Really? Just forget it – do not waste money on these paper moon pants – I mean, come on, as if it was not humiliating enough that I have to lay on my side and have instruments put up there. Any way- they were cute and if I had a larger purse, I would have taken a pair home to show my hubby – new, unused ones, not the ones they used in the exam- ewww! Anyway, after a few minutes of humiliating it is over, and you just hope relief is in sight. Ah, the joys of childbirth !

My "Alleged" Family Medical History

For the last few years, since I have had planned and had a family of my own, I have really been interested in my family medical history. I used to fill out those questionnaires and wonder to myself as I wrote down "N/A - no report" what my family history truly was. You see, I am a first generation American born to parents who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1960s, so I know very little about the medical history of my immediate family other than what I am told which has been up to this point- very little to nothing.

Moreover, each time I told something about how someone died or what happened to this uncle or grandma, I am told something different each time. Things that certainly make you go "hmmmm...." In any case, I try to remain vigilant and persistent. When I made a trip to the Motherland last year, I was asking all the questions I could. I also ask my in-laws so I can help figure out what we all up against. As you know, family medical history plays a significant role in genetic disorders, medical conditions and health in general. Sure, a large part of your health is your diet, exercise, and how you take care of yourself BUT, it would be nice to know what risk factors we are all up against.

As I try to trace what happened to my family in the Motherland, I discover lots of disturbing "allegations" - my grandmother died young (either pneumonia or brain disorder), my grandparents on my maternal side passed away (was it diabetes or natural causes), my uncle who died young (brain tumor or aneurysm), siblings of my mother and father who died before my mom and dad were even born (no idea what happened). I try to piece together a genetic medical history puzzle of sorts and it has a lot of holes in it! I continue to wonder why people do not know really know what happened to certain people or why they cannot explain anything- was medical care really that poor back in the day or could people not accurately diagnose so all of us left behind just have to live with the explanation of, "she just went nuts." What?

Anyway, as I continue to piece together the answers to that ever popular question, "Do you have a medical history of this in your family?" I hope I can at least provide some answers to my children so they, in turn, can fill out a proper family medical history instead of the perpetual "?? I have no earthly idea" as an answer.

Since when did obesity become a good thing?

Since the birth of my first daughter I am just amazed at how obsessed pediatricians and parents alike are obsessed with the weight of their kids. I mean my kid is already in the 1 percentile and that ain't good. She is only 23 months old and because she is thin, and was born tiny, she is basically getting failing grades already. If she were fat though, she'd be in the 90 percentile and yes, that is considered good. So, if my child were fat and chunky and at risk for diabetes and other diseases that strike the obese, I would get a pat on the back- good job! Sure, your kid is almost 2 and not walking because of the giant fat legs but hey, at least he or she is well fed. What?? Are you kidding?

I am amazed in this day and age that doctors and parents alike are concerned with how fat their child is and not in the way you think- it is all about how much weight they can put on and how fast. Even though my toddler eats reasonably most of the time, she does not gain weight. She is, however, taller than her peers. She towers over even kids her own age or older than her. However, that is not something to be commended. Rather, the doctor focuses on weight. My mother in law is obsessed with it as well and while she is always comparing all her grandkids even though each is unique, I find it humorous that she really takes pride in calling the two grandkids who are good eaters from HER side of the family. I do not know if I would brag about the fat kids being from my side of the family- I do not think that is a good thing. Needless to say, the battles rage on and I too have fallen prey to all the rhetoric and tend to weigh my newborn all the time. It is a sickness really. I want to win the competition after all even though I really do not think it is a healthy competition to begin with... nonetheless, like everything else in life, it is a race to the finish!

It's not a Tumor Part II

So, the ER doc came in to talk with us about what someone else saw on the CT Scan. At first, she came in and said "you have a kidney stone." A few minutes, after she got a call and came back it was no longer a stone, but rather, I may have appendicitis. WHAT??? How do you go from stone to appendicitis. Anyway, she said she would send down a general surgeon to meet with us to consult. Oh great!
The surgeon came by and could not tell anything definitive either. In either case, we were admitted to determine whether to go forward with appendix surgery or not. After this it was a waiting game but in the meantime, I started getting better and by mid-afternoon, the pain was gone. But the waiting game continued.... We waited for the surgeon to return but in the meantime were told that surgery was coming to get us - what?!

Anyway, our nurse was very resourceful, young and quite the nosy busy body so she managed to track down our surgeon who came in and pushed rather hard on my abdominal area again and said he had no strong opinions on whether I should stay the night or not but he was not ruling out appendicitis. What kind of diagnosis is that? Even just 6 hours ago, I was in horrible pain but now nothing except sheer and utter starvation. Sure, the IVs were helping with dehydration but I felt horrible and my milk was drying up too - after all, you need nutrition to produce milk. I really just wanted to go home but since the doctor agreed to allow me to have some liquids, I had some broth and jello and decided to stay the night since the yukky stuff had sorta returned. The nurses even offerred to take my IV out so I decided to stay overnight. I knew what that meant - interruptions to come check vitals and what not all night long - ahh! But having stayed at the hospital twice before for two pregnancies, I asked the nurses to not bother me and managed to get 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep accompanied by another 2 hours. In the morning, my white blood cell count had gone down and I was released by 8am. I was also permitted to have solid foods and ate a breakfast... finally! I was very sore from where the doctor had pushed down on my internal organs but other than that lingering pain and general malaise, I felt pretty good. Now, it was time to breastfeed my baby and get my milk supply back up.

So, I am still perturbed to not know definitively what was wrong with me other than perhaps gastroentiritis. But once again, just a perhaps. I am just glad they did not see anything too severe but at the same time, I wish they could have told me for sure. Just another reason I do not have much faith in the medical industry but let's hope for the best.

It's not a tumor! Part I

So recently I had "something" very wrong with me. On Monday night, I started having some mild cramping which I assumed was normal post-partum cramping but a few hours later it turned into a violent attack in my abdomen radiating across my front torso and into my back, and eventually settling on my left lower side. I did all I used to do before when I had stomach pains or gas- Tums, Pepto, a carbonated beverage, and heat (thinking it could be menstrual pain). Well, nothing helped. 12 hours and several vomit episodes later, I realized the cramping was still pretty bad and I had a steady pain that radiating from my left side to the middle of my abdomen so I thought it best my husband take me to the ER. Well, that is where the fun begins...

... we arrived at the ER and I was in severe pain. I remember telling my husband it was worse than labor. Now, that is important to note because I had just delivered our second child four weeks ago so for me to say it was worse than labor was quite the comment. We were admitted into a room there and another person was also wheeled in later. Sharing a room wtih just a curtain blocking you from the next person over is quite unnerving. In fact, it is downright annoying at times... more to follow on that. But, you get to hear the person's name, DOB, and their entire medical history. Fortunately, for me, I was there first so I got to hear others' personal privacy information first. I am surprised that they share beds in the ER considering they are so concerned about HIPPAA every other time you try to ask for something..."oh no, that would violate HIPPAA Privacy Laws, but here, share an ER room with this person and then you can record their DOB, their name, their medical history and their diagnosis...that's okay."

I was also fascinated with the fact that when the guy next to me got X-rays taken in the room with the push cart X-ray maching, they stuck that nice little bib over the railing of the bed I was laying in. I was miffed by this because I saw no point. How does hanging one of those bibbs over the rail of my bed protect me from radiation? Not to mention I am breastfeeding so really? A bibb over the rail? Really? Anyway, that was humorous but it did not end there.

We ended up getting an annoying new curtain neighbor when the other one left and what an entertaining couple of folks they were! The guy who was admitted was hard of hearing and was screaming - he was loud! The lady that was with him - maybe his wife but who knows right, was a complete freak too. She was talking loud and all sorts of nonsense but for my husband and I, it provided a few minutes of humor in an otherwise scary and unnerving day. I mean who enjoys going to the ER only to have to wait to find out what is wrong with them.

Which brings up my next point- so, they could not figure out what was wrong with me. Four weeks post partum, but no one thought to call my OB and do an exam. Instead they took urine to rule out UTI and kidney stones. Well, it does not end there. I was breastfeeding and of course had not eaten or drank in sometime and I was drying up. Amidst all this they decided to do a CT Scan with contrast so I could not feed the baby for more hours. They wanted to find out what was wrong so I had to drink this horrible liquid in the room. All I could think of as I watched the monster 64 oz. cup come at me was ... "Man v. Food" from the Travel Channel and it was a quest really to finish the nasty stuff as I fought cramping and nausea. I tried to think back to some of the gorry episodes where he tackled the 13 egg omelet (or something like that), and the burritos and the clams, and thought... okay, the key is to down it. They had brought me a straw but turns out, that was a time killed. It was better to just down it all at once and hope for the best. In the case of woman v. nasty drink, drink almost won. So, after I conquered the liquid drink, they wheeled me into this room to take the Scan and it was not as scary as I thought it would be so I was glad- I can't imagine how people get CT Scans of their heads -- to be rolled into some giant machine and not come out seems frightening to me. The weirdest sensation was when they injected me with the contrast dye which turns out is actually the safest thing to give pregnant and nursing moms. This dye which is clear allows them to see all the organs better- it is cool but when it goes into your system gives you a warm, a very warm to hot sensation that extends from your head to your groin. It is quite unnerving and feels like your body is on fire. It goes away quickly but nonetheless, weird.

So we received a diagnosis a few minutes after returning to our walled off curtained area. No, it's not a tumor! Thank god. I was envisioning the worse. To Be Continued in Part II...

100% all Natural

I am prefacing this blog by stating that this is my experience and of course, from what little data I have gathered, I do believe this to be the case. Of course, if you have some evidence to dispute the below, I would love your comments.

Recently, I had my second child and therefore, decided pretty early on in the pregnancy that I was going to 100% natural this time. I did more data gathering this time, hired a doula (which I should have done the first time), and delved into the effects of epidurals, medications, and other medical interventions during child birth. I was amazed to learn that if you take any of the above before you are in active labor, that labor and delivery could be slowed down significantly. Moreover, anything taken before active labor can pass directly to the baby and thereby effect the baby's development too. This time labor and delivery was a lot quicker and while there is no pain-free labor and delivery, I have to say I was better prepared. I knew what labor pains would feel like and I was able to manage pain better. I knew about the progression of labor and the dilation and knew anything taken before I was at least 5 cm would slow down labor and possibly harm the baby. I also had hired a doula to help with pain management at the hospital and advocate for me. All in all, I have to say this time around, the entire experience was better and my recovery was 10 times quicker. Last time, I remember not being able to walk properly or do much for over 2 weeks post-partum. This time, I was up and ready within hours and the next day, was on my own, able to breastfeed a baby who was eager to feed, and was ready to head home.

This time my labor and delivery was 100% natural. Last time, I got to the hospital too early and to help me sleep and manage pain they offerred me morphine. I was only 1 cm dilated so of course, that slowed down labor - granted, the pain still continued and the meds did nothing for the pain. I was groggy, exhausted, and of course, the same can be said for the baby- she was also taking in the morphine and that may have contributed to late development for her as she did not feed right away, lost a lot of weight and to this day has issues with feeding and sleep. My sister-in-law reports different experiences with her births too. For the first, she took an epidural. I am not sure when but from how she explained it, early. While I am not associating all medical intervention with slow labor and delivery, post-recovery issues, and baby development issues, I think there is something to be said about 100% natural child birth and all of the above. Her second son was born free of intervention and from what I hear, a better eater, a better breast feeder, and even a better sleeper.

I have noticed the same this time with my second child- she is a better eater, is gaining weight, and a much better sleeper. Not that my first child was a terror- she was not. She was a great baby too but this one is just doing better and was more alert from the time of birth. I would love to do more empirical and statistical data gathering on this matter because of my own experience on the issue and I have even talked with my husband about becoming a doula part-time in the future to spread this knowledge and experience. I would love to help other women who are having children to go natural - it is truly the best thing for mother and child.

Billing Practices of Healthcare providers & Insurance

I recently had yet another experience with a healthcare provider billing me for a trivial item and it turning into a $100 copay with the insurance company. What? I thought. All the doc did was examine me with a scope and I got charged for a surgery from my insurance company. This happened twice because after the first visit, there was no bill. When I called to dispute this because of lack of knowledge, the doc's office manager insisted that is how they bill. I am writing this blog to make people aware that they need to talk with their insurance provider and the medical doctor before they get anything done. Forget about life and death, this country is all about the insurance companies (HMOs and PPOs) and the pockets of the medical doctors.

Don't get me wrong- there are medical doctors out there who would not bill like this and would work with a patient. I have had this happen in the past. But, this was not one those doctors. I will not be returning to this doctor or recommending her to others - in fact, I already filled out several surveys cautioning people on the billing practices of this particular office but I would recommend that before you see specialists or have ANYTHING done by any medical provider, you ask the right questions - is this covered by insurance? Is this considered a surgical procedure? If that means you stop the appointment short and leave to call your insurance, I would do it. It is sad that you have to worry about this in addition to the medical problems you are seeking help for, but that is the state of health care in our country and frankly, it stinks.

I hope that one day we can worry about our health and seek prevention instead of having to see doctors after the fact. I hope we can have a good health care system in our country that cares about the patient instead of the bottom line and more importantly, health care providers that truly want to work with you and provide great "customer" care or patient care instead of sticking it to you and talking with you like you are just another number. I remember a time when doctors would make house calls and they were like family. That is no longer the case - HMOs, PPOs and insurance companies have replaced what was once family doctors. It is all about the bottom line now - the copays, the codes, the treatment codes, and the patient is generally not even a factor anymore.

No rest for the weary

We recently had a hospital stay for two nights after the birth of our second child. We learned from our first stay two years ago how the entire operation worked so this time we were not just better prepared for the hospital "lingo" but also better able to handle ourselves at the hospital. Hospitals are no place for rest. It seemed that Murphy's Law applies at a hospital stay more than anywhere else. Right when you fall asleep, someone decides to take your vitals, or right when your baby falls asleep, someone decides you need to undress him or her so they can check the vitals on the baby. What? Couldn't you do that in another few hours?

Despite the signs we put up on our door even the hospital-provided ones, people still found ways to disturb sleeping, labored-weary mom and newborn baby. The first night, we knew what to do - "for the love of God, take the baby to the nursery already!" It was almost midnite. The nurse threatened us, "well, if you do not feed the baby, we will give her a bottle in the nursery." My response after being a second time mom was.... "so what? feel free to give her as many bottles as you want. I am not worried about any type of confusion." I was more experienced and wiser because of the last time. In the end, the truth is, bottle or nipple, the baby turns out just fine. And because of what happened last time, I knew better. Needless to say, we did not get much rest. I was in pain all night and when I was not in pain, I had stomach issues because there was no food available after I delivered. I did manage to get about 3-4 hours of sleep and I guess that is what I have to look forward to from here on out.

The next day was more of the same- they wheeled in the baby around 630am and took my vitals and checked me. We must have changed like 10 nurses and each one had their own thoughts and opinions on things and even though my birth plan stated not to ask me my pain level (1-10) every two minutes, no one paid attention. So they kept irritating me with questions like that all the time. It was quite annoying. Then, the signs went up - do not disturb, shhhh napping, but it made no difference. People would stroll in and out of our room like it was okay. The picture lady came by; the folks who run tests on the baby's cord, and so on. It never ended. My doula came to visit when we were napping and the nurse always popped in and out. There was no end to the disturbances and napping was out of the question. That night though was the kicker. It was Oscar's night and I was fading fast. I needed sleep and they were not taking the baby to the nursery. The nurse told us there were not enough people in the nursery and they were understaffed so they could only take her for 3 hours. I was going delirious from lack of sleep and at 1130pm I finally went to the nurses' station and BEGGED them to please take the baby to the nursery because if I did not get sleep, I would lose my mind. It worked! They rolled her out at midnight and did not bother us until 650am when they returned her. I slept good and got 6 and a half hours... not much but let's face it, every hour counts from here on out.

Hospitals are no place for the weary to rest. You would think it would be but it is not. In the end, you have to just hope for the best, put your foot down, and be persistent. I did not let them guilt trip me into thinking there would be nipple confusion or that I had to breast feed at night. I was not going there again and so I was wiser. In the end, it is how you handle the staff and your mindset that will determine whether you get any rest at the hospital or not. More importantly, communicate with the staff and do let them know your expectations. There is a lot of turn over so you may have to repeat yourself several times. Happy Hospital Stay!

Medicine, Drugs, and the HMOs

Since I left the military active duty, I have felt the pinch like all Americans do of rising health care costs and paying for prescriptions. I also now incur dental expenses. In the military, the biggest perk was the free health care, free drugs, and while quality of care was relatively okay, at least it carried the right price tag- FREE!

Now, with a growing family, and paying $XXX bi-weekly to maintain said insurances - dental and health, it seems like a never-ending cycle- between copays, Rx copays, and often getting screwed by the dentist and doctors alike on hidden costs, it seems I am always paying for something. Heaven forbid your kid be a kid because if he or she falls, just pay your $50 urgent care copay and kiss 4-5 hours of your life good bye. While you control the quality of care under our insurance by choosing who you go to see, you can't control much else. If the docs or dentists do not find a way to screw you, trust me, the drug companies will. Recently, for example, I learned that there is no longer a generic for Albuterol- the inhaler. Post 2008 the only generic for Albuterol was pulled because of CFCs - what?! We are the biggest polluting nation due to cars, emissions, and factories in the world, and we are concerned about CFCs released from a tiny albuterol inhaler? Are you kidding me? Another ploy to screw Americans and worse, kids. Think about it - if you are a single mom or dad making about $40,000 before taxes, and now your kid has asthma and you need inhalers all the time at $35/inhaler, that really adds up.

Meanwhile, Canada can still sell Salbuterol inhalers and they are half the cost. I am not sure what these drug companies are thinking. I also hate that I have to pay a $20 copay to go see a doc just so I can get a script for something I could diagnose myself with. Why can't I find more drugs on the open market like penicillin, or even inhalers? They are for personal limited use and trust me, abuse would be minimal if things were more readily available. The thing is - the kids that are gonna abuse drugs like cough syrup, they will continue to abuse anything- but why are we preventing 95% of the population from getting care and drugs they need just because of the few. I do not get it - wait, I do. It is all about profit, all about the bottom line and in America, it is not about the patient, the child or the sick old lady with cancer.... it truly is about the drug companies making their money, the doctor getting his or copay even though they do nothing, and the HMOs and PPOs getting their money too. In the end, who gets squeezed? The consumer- the American who is working hard, paying their premiums, and copays only to discover they really cannot afford the medicine their child needs or they need to get better. So they get sicker, or contract other diseases, and then who ends up paying when they have to rely on the State? You guessed it! The consumer - because the insurance companies will pass the cost on to them, and so will the Government through taxes. The drug companies and doctors don't care about the patient but are more interested in getting paid as well.

I hope something can be done to overhaul our current system in America because there is no doubt it is broken. Unless you are serving in the nation's military, you are probably an America who is getting squeezed by the doctors, the drug companies, and the insurance companies, so, it is time for change in our health care system and while I do not believe Government is the answer to all, I think the Government does need to clean up the mess... not by taking it over but rather, by regulating the industry better and perhaps passing laws to make meds more readily available which will open up generics. Perhaps passing laws to regulate the health and drug industry will help and we deifnitely more options in healthcare so companies can clean up their act if they want your business or your employer's business.

Can a cough really last this long?

I feel like I have been hit by the plague. For almost 16 days now, I have had the worst imaginable cough. Being preggers and coughing up a lung every few hours is certainly not fun! When it first started, all my muscles were sore from all the excessive coughing. What a nightmare for the baby! Needless to say, I wonder how long a viral cough like this will last especially considering my impending labor and delivery. I wonder if the cough will help just push the baby along or hinder the entire process. There is so much pain as it is much less dealing with a bronchial cough like this one.

I have tried everything. I was even on antibiotics. Obviously, it was not a bacterial infection. I have tried Robitussin and Robitussin with Codeine, home remedies, cough drops, and everything else natural you can imagine. This is probably the worst strain of the cough I have gotten and at a time when my immune system is very weak. Anyway, here's to hoping this horrible plague ends soon so I can get on with the important task of focusing on labor and delivery.

You mean I don't get a choice?!

I knew that my final visit to the dentist over this damn root canal would not be without incident. Sure enough, it was not. What now? I thought to myself as I saw them pull out my permanent crown which was oh crap! Gold?! Are you kidding me? Thank god it is the last upper tooth on the left or I would have lost my mind for sure and refused it. The dentist never even communicated with me on whether it would be gold, porcelain or what I wanted. Forget about choice, right? Dentist knows best! Now I know how women who feel who do not have a choice. I am more pro-choice now than ever. Needless to say, my permanent is a gold and I have to deal with it all because the dentist would not give me a choice.

I knew there would be an incident and sure enough, there was. That's okay because I am done with this dentist. I am going to ask for my records in a few months and move on - I am even thinking of changing dental plans. New dentist, new dental plan. My friend has a really good one near our office. I want a dentist who over communicates, not under and I defintely one who will give me a choice before he sticks a gold crown in my mouth. Choice is definitely a good thing and communication between your dentist or doctor and yourself even a better thing. Happy choosing!

Get an Endodontist for God's Sake

As promised, here is another installment of pain and unpleasantries at the dentist at what feels like my 10th appointment (4th really) over this damn root canal. It has been a nightmare and it seems like it never ends. There is something to be said about paying more to get an expert to complete it in one or two sittings. Now, I have to go back to get a permanent which should be ready in 2 weeks but who knows.

The appointment started with my asking questions I should have asked much much earlier. Like, hello, is this last appointment? Is the tool in that he needed last time but was not in? What about the permanent? Can I get that today or do I need to come back one more time? The hygenist, frankly, seemed annoyed with me. She thought I was being "difficult" because I asked questions. Warning #1. The dentist could not stop singing today - Warning #2. And the final straw was when they wanted to take an X-ray which is why I stuck with these losers in the first place. I almost lost it. Warning #3. When your hygenist calls your dentist "BABY" or HONEY, you know you may not be in a professional office environment. Warning #4. Needless to say, I cannot wait til this tooth stuff is done and I can find a new dentist. Maybe I will go to my husband's. It is far away from my work but he has had good experiences, or I will ask around at the office and see who else is out there. It is so hard to find good medical and dental care these days, that it is a miracle there are still some good ones out there. I, unfortunately, have had some rough experiences at this dentist that I hope no one ever has.

Tylenol 3 (with Codeine) here I come I suppose!

Oops! I ate my crown!

Yesterday, as if things could not get worse with this whole tooth situation which has dragged on now for well over 8 weeks, I ate the temporary crown that my dentist put on my poor tooth. So, around 430pm, I was sneakily enjoying a twix bar when the crown came out. Oh gross, I thought. It was only 430pm, so I call my dentist’s office. You guessed it – this is the office that is open 7-4pm for 4 days week and then closed. It is a wonder anyone gets any care. So, I called the dental emergency number to ask what I should do. After all, it felt very weird without a crown. The dentist advised me to put it back in with some toothpaste or adhesive from Wal-Mart. What!? Really!? Okay…. So I put it back in but had no idea how loose it was.

When I got home, I had one bite of something and discovered the crown was gone. No where to be found so the obvious conclusion was – Yep, I ate it. Great! This is going to be great as it goes down. Needless to say, it was weird to not have a temporary crown on and feel the exposed canals and the tooth. It did not hurt but it sure felt strange and I felt empty.

At 7am, I was surprised when the dental office actually answered its phones. That pleasant surprise led to an 8am visit to the dentist and they redid a temporary for me. I have come to several conclusions about this place and this entire incident – One, I really liked my dental care with the military when everything was done in one visit. None of this go back and see them 5 times. Two, I really prefer to have doctors and providers who are open 5 days a week and if necessary, do an emergency clinic on weekends. I remember, in Germany, a military dentist did an after -hours look at my filling – he had worked on it the day before. He had me to come to his house and took a look and saw it was infected. He took care of me right away. Now, that’s service! Three, next time I ever have to have root canals or more complicated than a filling done, I am going to ask for a referral for an endodontist. This is their specialty and while they may cost more, in the long run, it costs you less. I only stuck with these yahoos because I did not want X-rays done – well, a little radiation never harmed a fetus in the second and third trimester and this might have been the time to let those fears go in favor of better oral care.

My next appointment and hopefully last is on Monday morning. Stay tuned for another fun and pain-filled blog. ‘Til then, if you have a temporary, try not to eat it.

OUCH! That's an open canal, man!

This morning, I had another experience with my singing dentist. As he sang, "raise your hands to heaven and pray..." I also raised my hands to heaven to pray this man would stop singing as he plowed through open canals in my mouth - exposed for the finishing touches of a root canal. I thought this morning as I made my wayt to the dental office again that I would be done with it ... that this was the day! Alas, it is not to be. I have to make yet another trip. Apparently, my canals are very complicated - curvy and hard to reach. Great! I am a borderline candidate to be referred outside to an endodontist. I wish they had in honesty because I want this done with. 5-months pregnant and recovering from illness this past weekend, the last thing I want is three appointments, 6 shots to numb the area, and drill drill drill! Needless to say, the experience left me very much in pain and unable to take anything good like 800 mg of Ibuprofen. Woooes me

In the future, when a dentist suspects I need a root canal, I have decided it is better to pay more and make a trip to the endodontist - they are quicker, seem to have all the cooler toys, and perhaps can cause less complications because they have seen the worst case and the easiest case and everything in between. But for now, I press on hoping this mind numbing pain will soon subside.

Tooth Aches = Wallet Aches

So I had to have an emergency root canal today and it was not fun. What medical or dental procedure is, really? Anyway, harder than getting tooth work done is paying for it afterwards - I really miss being part of the Air Force where all dental care was covered. It is easy to forget how many benefits you got in the military. Needless to say, this procedure was not as bad as I expected and the worst of it was the initial needle for the anaesthetic and the drilling to get the temporary filling out.

Now, I am just trying to rest and get the feeling back in the left side of my mouth and smoothies, here I come! I think most people can expect to set aside about $2000a year for medical things like this and hopefully can use a flex health spending account. In the meantime, when you hear you have to pay $xxx for the pain you just experienced and will for the next few weeks, it really aches your wallet too! Keep flossing and brushing.

Mounting Medical Frustrations

Recently, I have realized how frustrating it is to deal with the medical community. For example, my dentist’s office is only open Monday through Thursday. I find that very frustrating. A professional medical office should be open 5-6 days a visit with dentists or doctors rotating so they all get the time off they need. When I call a medical office on a Friday morning, call me crazy, but I expect they are open. Staff could just work shifts so each person has a day off. What a concept! Meanwhile, I have practically no client interaction other than via phone daily and my genius boss will not even let his staff work from home. So I called my dentist office on Monday to schedule something for that week that could work for me. There are location issues especially with my daughter in daycare near my office, some 13 miles from home. Anyway, I found it hard to believe when they told me they were closed on Tuesday for renovations. Hmmm… Tuesday and Friday now? Do you people ever work? That thought entered my mind and my sarcastic tone on the phone must have conveyed this sentiment. The biggest problem was when I asked for my charts and records especially X-rays. I cannot take X-rays right now so if I could get my chart – my chart being the operable phrase here, anyway, she told me they would need two days to prepare them. I told them to have the copies ready on Wednesday. All of a sudden, minutes later, the receptionist was able to find me an opening at 7am to do the filling. Interesting stuff.

I also recently found out that my husband called to get test results from X-rays taken over a week ago, and because he called on Friday, his podiatrist was closed too! Then, low and behold, she was out again on Monday when he called. No one, not even a nurse on call to give that information out. It is critical for him as he is hobbling around on a strange cast and in pain. You would think someone would have called him? No, these days unless your test results reveal mass lumps in your breast, no one will call you and even then, they will call you two weeks later. Call me crazy, but this all seems like medical malpractice to me. I told him to start seeing a doc who would be more readily available – like perhaps, five days a week!

Then, I had to deal with a sonographer last week who would not explain anything to me and would not even let me view the ultrasound as she was doing it – after all, why do I need to know anything about my body and my health? Someone will get back with me in a few weeks IF there is a reason to call. So, that’s it? What’s a woman gotta to do these days to get some information about her own frigging health?! I know this sounds like a ranting and raving blog but it is truly frustrating to work with professionals when you are not treated like one. I expect a doctor to call me, not a nurse with results, and take time to explain them. And if a nurse calls me with alarming news like my thyroid levels are off, I expect some explanation on why and some good medical advice on what to do next instead of, “here, here’s a good number for an endocrinologist…. Good luck!”

On the positive side, this past week, I saw a genetic counselor and an ultrasound tech who really knew their stuff. I learned about placenta previa, Nucul translucency, presence of a nasal bone, chromosomal defects, the difference between CVS and amnio, and amazing improvements in technology and medical equipment that have made amnios more safer than ever. I was amazed by this clinic. They took time to explain to me my body – imagine that! A medical professional who takes time to explain your options, educate you, and send you off feeling more empowered and more in control of your body and future than when you entered that office? Really? Is it possible? They even called me promptly to go over my results with me and took the time to explain those too. All I can say is that I am truly impressed by some medical professionals and offices more than others. I am looking for a new dentist but do not want new Xrays done so will need to wait til next year. And yes, if you are reading this blog, we are expecting sometime in late February. More blogs to follow on that topic…. ‘til then, do your homework and find doctors who make you comfortable, who spend time with you, and give you information on your options instead of treating you like a number, and ask when they are open…. Picking a good medical professional can really make a HUGE difference in your life – heck, as we learned by watching 60 minutes last night, it may even save it.

Flossing Every Day helps keep the tone deaf dentist away

I had a dental appointment today after about 9 months of not seeing them. The last time I saw them was probably August or September of last year. 9 months is too soon to see the dentist in my opinion and 6 months is way too soon! Personally, I think it is a ploy to make money off of people – after all, people pay insurance which in turn gets paid to these blood thirsty dentists.

So, this is how the visit went down. I first met with a very nice person who polished my teeth and flossed them. I thought it was about to end when the hygienist came in. She seemed like a nice lady but not as a thorough as the last guy I had. I actually liked the last hygienist I had. He did less talky and more cleany. So, this one could not stop talking while I had a scraper to my teeth. She was a nice lady but had a lot of questions. Do you have kids? Are you married? Where do you live? Do you work or are you a stay at home mom? Hello! Who watches your kid when you go to work? I was getting a little annoyed because I could not answer except in between my spit being sucked by a tube – you know which one I am talking about. The last lady let me sleep as she polished and flossed…. Why can’t you do the same?

Needless to say, that ended and I thought after the fluoride I was finished. I was not. Then, came the dentist to do his exam. This was the yahoo I heard earlier singing Elton John’s “good bye Norma Jean”. I kid you not. He was your typical arrogant newbie type dentist who kept humming to every tune on the radio. It was even more frustrating than 20-question lady whom I could handle. Bad singing, on the other hand, while my mouth was being poked and prodded, not so much fun. He was singing, “Celebrate, good times… Come on! It’s a celebration.” I was doing anything but celebrating. I was thinking to myself – I’d like to jam the tooth device he is using to hurt me into his celebratory little forehead, which is all I could see anyway amidst his googles and mouth mask. He kept on singing “it’s a celebration…. Celebrate, good times” as he spotted a couple of trouble spots. He spotted two of the same spots the last doc did but as he compared last year’s notes with what he saw he boldly stated, “I do not agree with the other two things they found – just these. Can you take pictures and show her?” Boy, I thought to myself, glad I did not get the dental work they recommended last year done for the low, low price of $2000 because now it is reduced by almost $1400! The girl I saw first who did the polishing in silence took some pictures with a new camera/laptop combo device they had. Then, came the worst part of the whole trip – seeing the receptionist on my way out.

The receptionist, mind you, was the one who chided me when I made my appointment, telling me I needed to come back every 6 months or I’d be put on some list. “Drink the Kool-aid or else.” Yeah, we’ve heard that before. She gave me the proverbial price list, made an appointment for me in NOVEMBER! I kid you not … November- 6 months out. She asked “Will 8am work for you?” I responded, “Yeah, why not? I will probably just call you and reschedule because I do not know what I am doing November 20th much less tomorrow.” And, off I went. So I thought. She stopped me and asked me when I wanted to come in for the dental work that had to be done. I was like, “I will call when I am ready.” She retorted, “Are you sure, if you make the appointment now, you will have it all set.” I quickly replied, “I may not even get it done, but I will call when I am ready.” She gave me a look that could have stopped traffic. All I could think of as I ran – literally, ran out of the dental office, was, “will that singing dentist be working on my filling and crown or can I please schedule when he is out of town?” Seriously… can you imagine 2 hours or more in that uncomfortable chair, mouth propped open, drool spilling from both sides of your numb cheeks, listening to doc singing more bad tunes? I do not think so! I wish I had had this dentist when I was much younger, I might have flossed and brushed better – all to avoid the singing dentist. Til next time folks, Happy Flossing and make sure you brush at least twice a day.