Something to Chew On

(As promised, the sequel to my previous blog:  http://lincolnsideup8.blogspot.com/2011/03/like-pulling-teeth.html)

Smiles by Stevens, Visit #2:  Cleaning, Polish, Fluoride Varnish.  

Appointment with Tina Royer, R.D.H., Dental Hygienist.  

Tina is as nice as she looks.  In fact, everyone in the Smiles by Stevens office is warm, receptive, informative and friendly.  Tina performed the "scaling" treatment, on my last visit.  She removed the splinters of tarter from under my gums, the shards of unwanted intruders, known to cause irritation, inflammation and discomfort.  

MESSAGE:  Once removed, they  heal, and relief comes almost instantly.  I started thinking about the splinters in my brain.  Sharp reminders of pain points, prickles of discomfort, shards of regret and defeat.  Wouldn't it be nice if we could do some internal scaling; if we could instantly remove these splinters from our brains?

Tina told me to floss daily - to eliminate build-up in the spaces between the teeth, plaque deposits that harden, accumulate, and promote decay.  

MESSAGE:   I think about the spaces in my life - the holes, the voids, the gaps - the spaces between who I am and who I want to be.  And I consider - what gets in the way?  What promotes decay?  Grief, regret, anxiety, fear - to name a few.  They're attracted to the spaces, they fester in the voids.  And I know she's right.  

I learned a lot from my last visit, and I went back today, grateful for an opportunity to continue on the journey.  Dental care basics are surprisingly similar to life's fundamentals.  I never realized it, until I forced myself back into that chair.  It's surprising how fear can transcend through so many layers of consciousness, and permeate such a broad scope of life's experiences.

I looked forward to my visit today.  Today was about cleaning, polishing, varnishing.  Today was about scraping away the build-up, probing, prodding - tough love.  Today was about shining the Me underneath. Shedding the unwanted dirt, and showing up pearly white.  Today was about protecting.  Fluoride Varnish = Vitamins for the Teeth, according to Tina.  How can you go wrong?  

So, I did my time in the chair.  Tina asked me how I've been doing with flossing, and I couldn't quite come clean.  I told her I've been trying - maybe 3 times a week.  She said the more I floss, the less my gums will bleed....and I suppose that makes sense.  

MESSAGE:  We need to floss every day.  We need to fight the decay, with everything we have.  We need to protect ourselves from the invasions.

So, like us, our gums build up a tolerance.  Push them around a little bit, and they respond with resilience.  The fact is, they need the intrusion - they want to be challenged, on a daily basis.  They're more than willing to stand up for themselves.  I suppose we could learn a lot from our gum tissue.  

Tina took some measurements today.  Tooth by tooth, she measured the gap between tooth and gum.  Oddly, those spaces are significant too.  As it turns out, the pockets she evaluated can determine whether or not a patient has periodontal disease.  Tooth by tooth, I wondered if my years of avoidance would result in a harsh sentence. Frankly, I was surprised when they didn't.

According to Tina, I have a little Gingivitis, but it's completely reversible.  Wow.  How about that?  Imagine going to a shrink, and having her tell you that anything you've experienced to date, is easily deflected.  Any hurt, any trauma, any self-inflicted damage - no problem.  Just floss.  

And I'm not stringing you along.  Flossing is recommended by all dental professionals.  I'm only suggesting that the concept be introduced on different levels.  At the risk of quoting another DMB song, "The space between the tears we cry, is the laughter - keeps us coming back for more."  How beautiful and true.  Keep those spaces open and clean.  Let that laughter in - and realize it's all worth it.  

In any case, my teeth are scraped, polished, vitamin induced, and ready for Smiles by Stevens appointment #3 - The Fillings, the Crown, the potential Root Canal.  

Stay tuned, Folks.  

- L.