Grin and...Be Thankful.

Some of the things were grateful for are said through gritted teeth. But don't actually grit your teeth too much, or else you might end up like me.

It's Thanksgiving my friends, and I love it. I haven't been around my whole family in a long time, and I've got a new niece that I need to meet! I have no shortage of things to be thankful for, but I wanted to give a less common perspective.

In the last twelve months, I have spent ~$1500 on my teeth. And none of it is my fault! I brush my teeth, I get them professionally cleaned and looked at every six months, all my dentists say I do a good job of taking care of my teeth.

It all started a couple weeks before last Thanksgiving. One of my teeth was sensitive to pressure, but the dentist couldn't pinpoint any cause, so we waited a few weeks to see if it would get better. I was sure I had a cavity hidden under the filling that was already there, so I had them check again and they suspected a crack, which would need a crown. Great. They sent me to an endodontist to see if the root was infected and it was, so I needed a root canal. Even better.

When I finally had the procedure, they couldn't finish it due to inflammation, so I had to wait with a temporary filling. Then, when I finally got it finished and had a temporary crown put on, I crunched a wasabi pea and broke it (curse you, spicy vegetable snacks!). Once the permanent crown was set, I was so glad that it was finally over.

The whole ordeal start to finish lasted from Thanksgiving to Easter because of how scheduling and doctors and such worked out.

But the next June, I woke up one morning with a familiar dreaded ache in a tooth with a large filling. Oh no, not this again. I called my dentist and set an appointment for a couple of days later. Until then, I chewed on the other side and gave every meal an appetizer of pain medicine to keep it from aching. I worked overtime the whole week to prepare my bank account for the inevitable. At my appointment, the dentist gave a verdict that was not as bad as I feared. The tooth was cracked, but not infected. So it needed a crown, not a root canal. Still expensive, but significantly cheaper. And still not fun. I've spent enough time in the dentist's chair over the years that any fear I may have had is replaced by annoyance and a desire to just get it done and move on with my life.

When you were a kid and were complaining about something, did anyone ever make you say ten things you were thankful for? My parents didn't (which is probably a good thing, it would have just made me mad), but in this situation, I actually did find that gratitude did soften the blow a little. Here's my list:

1. I'm thankful that I have a job with insurance so that all of this cost doesn't come out of my pocket.
2. I'm thankful that I know I have enough money. When I swipe my card to pay, I don't have to worry about it being declined.
3. I'm thankful for a dentist that knows what they are doing and that they were able to diagnose and treat the problem.
4. I'm thankful for modern dental techniques that allowed the procedures to be done with less discomfort than any time in human history.
5. I'm thankful for access to over the counter pain medicine so that I didn't have to put up with even the low level of pain from the procedures.
6. I'm thankful that I live in a country with access to clean water, toothpaste, and other dental health resources. I can't imagine living without those things. The pain would be excruciating.
7. I'm thankful that this is one of the biggest physical complaints I have in my life. I'm not in a place where I have to struggle with pain, limited mobility, or any number of things that I know many people face. I am extremely blessed with my good health, and I try not to take it for granted.

I know that's only seven, but I could probably go a lot more. In the Thanksgiving season, it's easy to be grateful for the things we actively enjoy like our family, friends, pets, a good cup of coffee, but it's not so easy to be grateful for the drooling numbness of yet another dental procedure. But I'm trying to turn more of my complaints into gratitude. Besides, no one wants to listen to me whine about how many times I have been shot up with Lidocaine in the last year and how much I hate it.
In a few days, I'll have the privilege of going back to Nebraska to be thankful for a brand new niece! It's going to be a great(ful) Thanksgiving, and I wish all of my readers the same. Try to appreciate your crazy relatives, and enjoy a second slice of pie if you want.

Happy Thanksgiving!