Dental Signoff

During the stem-cell process, the doctors want to minimize the chances that something else will complicate matters.  They don't like anything that:

1) Makes me weak. So I will have to do lung and heart stress tests of some sort

2) Would require a procedure while I'm immune compromised, like a rotten tooth

3) Would be an entry-vector for infection, like bacteria in my mouth (being low on platelets can open mouth sores, and being low on white blood cells can let them in.)

They've already warned me that a big fraction of complications seem to come from the patients' own gastro-intestinal tracts.

Put another way, it seems like 2/3rds of potential trouble is dental.  

But I have great teeth. You think my hair is youthful (it is alert and vertical this morning, thank you), you should see my teeth. Never any cavities.  I have two sorta-fillings, In which the deepest grooves of two of my molars were ground out before any trouble, and a smooth basin of composite was installed. The theory was that the grooves would eventually hide enough gunk that they'd turn into cavities, so lets eliminate any hiding places.

After Dr Vandenberg did the composites in 1988, I didn't go to the dentist between 1989 when the "sealant" was done and 2002 (when it seemed like time).  So that's 13 years.  All I needed was a good cleaning. In between, I toughed out the emergence of my wisdom teeth, which had near-enough room because of teeth taken out for ortho.

So although I actually like having my teeth cleaned, I never made the time.

That, and my 2002 to 2009 dentist in Arlington MA got shaky hands.  He was clearly in denial.

You'd get a cleaning from a rock-steady hygenist and then the doctor would come in and start inspecting your mouth. No matter how gently he probed or held back my lips, the part where he looked at my teeth always felt like this:

Basically, that's what I looked like, only with the dentist's hands Photoshopped out.

He eventually sold his practice (and all my records) to a guy in Lexington MA, so this week it was time to find a new dentist.  My criteria were:

1) Takes my cheapo plan

2) Is walkable from the house

3) Had a slot available ASAP

And so, shopping locally, I found a nice French lady who'd finished her training at BU.  We did:

1) Digital X-rays of my whole mouth

2) An inspection for the transplant team (a 3-page checklist)

3) A first cleaning (I'll go back 1pm on Dec 26th)

4) An appointment (also on the 26th) to replace a composite that seems loose

5) Prescription rinse (CHG) to rapidly remove bacteria

6) Brushing instructions (she likes Oral B electrics)

I did have some gums that had pulled back 4mm or more, and the hope is that between cleaning and keeping the bacteria down, they'll spring back in the next week or two.