📚A Most Unreliable Narrator Issue #169 Beautiful teeth

We f*cking need socialized medicine

Jan 07, 2024

Dear Internet,

First, behold my “new” logo. Not bad for a request I got on Fiverr, amirite? I had the logo made years ago and forgot it existed until the other day. I’m glad I found it as I rather like it.

The original newsletter for today was a 900-word screed on why I was staying with Substack. Instead it’s 1200 words on my root canal. Don’t read if needles and descriptions of medical procedures make you queasy.

I’ll tl;dr my stance on Substack: I can’t find a provider offering similar services to Substack; Substack doesn’t make a dime off of me; I’ve got “fuck you nazis” in my footer.

The end.

It was a quiet 2024 with Mr Lisa and I kicking off the new year with a smooch on the couch when the clock hit midnight. I went back to reading and he went back to doing whatever he does on his tablet and the night wore on.

We were to go to a party but much to Mr Lisa’s relief, the party got cancelled. We each had a cider with dinner and that was the extent of our alcohol infused night.

Life moves pretty fast if you’re not looking.

Then, January 2 happened.

Last spring, my dentist recommended I see an endodontist because I have an alleged abscess growing under my 20-year-old root canal. My dentist was shocked I had no pain, no swelling, and my gums were pink as can be. I guess, sure I’m amazing with pain even if I don’t have it? I scheduled the endodontist appointment for October. My insurance was swapping so I moved the appointment to January 2. When I saw my dentist again in early December, they were shocked that I still had no pain, no aching, no swelling of the gums. My gums were a delightful pink color as they should be. Another round of x-rays and this time the shadow that may be the abscess was bigger. I confirmed the endodontist appointment was January 2 and I’d follow up with my dentist’s office after.

January 2 rolls around and I get to the endodontist’s office. A 3-D x-ray was done along with regular x-rays and yes, I have an abscess. Still wonderment I have no pain, no aches, no swelling of the gums and like before, the gums remain a delightful pink color. The endodontist said, “Welp, you need a root canal, and I can do it right now. You’ll be out in 30 minutes.”

Okay? I say hesitantly. This was not on my bingo card for 2024.

As someone who is heavily tattooed, I am not afraid of needles. I am afraid of a 4” needle that goes not a bit in to inject the Novocain but the whole needle slides in. Twice. It pinched and hurt and I gripped the arm rests while moaning. I told the endodontist I hated him. His assistant said he gets that a lot.

After placing goggles on me, and confirming I was numbed up, the bzz bzz of the drill started. He held his circle of drill bits, which why this surprised me it looked like regular ole drill bits, over my face and I watched him swap out the bits as he worked. The drill bits were tiny. Maybe a few mm across? Some as small as toothpick ends. Sure enough, 30 minutes later, my slightly swollen mouth and I paid the bill and left.

New dental insurance was terrible and only covered 1/3^rd of the bill. If I (Mr Lisa has never even had a cavity in his entire life) need more work done, which I do as I need the crown for the root canal, it’ll be 100% out of pocket. No idea on the cost and it’s only January.

I apologized to Mr Lisa when I came home because neither of us were expecting a $1100 USD bill at the endodontist. I didn’t really feel like the endodontist gave me a choice to get the procedure done. It was all very rush rush. Clearly, having an abscess is a bad thing but I wanted to have a choice in the matter. Maybe see another endodontist for a second opinion? But no, as I wrote above, it was done and dirty in 30 minutes or less like an oil change.

Mr Lisa didn’t get why I was apologizing when I came hom. It was a medical procedure that needed to be done and not some frippery I purchased like a new handbag or perhaps some jewelry. What he was angry at is how shitty our dental insurance is. Not just us, but the US.

$1100 is a lot of money. It could keep someone in groceries and utilities for months. Pay someone’s rent or a car payment with insurance. But the thing is, no one should have to worry between living or getting their teeth fixed.

Fuck this country’s assholes who are greedy to take Social Security but refuse socialized medicine WHICH THEY GET ANYWAY WHEN THEY TURN 65 WITH MEDICARE.

Christ, I hate the US most of the time.

Any who.

Dental medicine has changed in the 20 odd years since my last, and only, root canal was done. I could eat and drink immediately. Very little swelling. I could talk just fine. The left side of my jaw was numb for a few hours and then it went away.

But now, I cannot chew on the left side of my mouth as it is painful and that side also aches. No swelling and my gums are a pretty pink color. I get a crown done on January 15 so hopefully this will go away either before then or when the crown is placed.

Again, fuck those assholes who reject socialized medicine.

And yes, I want to start 2024 with a story of my teeth.

A Most Unreliable Narrator

📚A Most Unreliable Narrator Issue #169 Beautiful teeth

We f*cking need socialized medicine

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