Hey moms:
Well, I'd put it off long enough and it was time to face the music. This past Saturday I went to the dentist for the first time in 7 years. Among the other nasty things my stbx did to me while we were married, he denied me dental care either by finding excuses for me not to go or dropping dental insurance coverage for months/years at a time :mad. Anyhow, now that I control the purse strings, a trip (or many) to the dentist was certainly warranted.
It was, in all honesty, a brutal visit. The cleaning part was fine - the hygenist complemented me on how well I took care of my gums and my flossing technique. However, the exam/x-rays were a shocker. I need two bridges to correct teeth broken from fillings coming out, two root canals and crowns on my back molars, and six other fillings
! I started work on one of the bridges (which included two extractions - yikes) on Saturday afternoon, so I spent the rest of the day chewing on gauze and trying not to think about how awful extractions are. I will probably end up spending at least $2,500 on dental work beyond my insurance coverage, but at least I already feel better about my appearance and my smile. I firmly believe that my stbx decided to deny me the dental care because he wanted me to look terrible and never leave him - also because he felt I should suffer. Now, I'm getting myself back by getting my dental health back. It is a good, if expensive, feeling!
Well, I'd put it off long enough and it was time to face the music. This past Saturday I went to the dentist for the first time in 7 years. Among the other nasty things my stbx did to me while we were married, he denied me dental care either by finding excuses for me not to go or dropping dental insurance coverage for months/years at a time :mad. Anyhow, now that I control the purse strings, a trip (or many) to the dentist was certainly warranted.
It was, in all honesty, a brutal visit. The cleaning part was fine - the hygenist complemented me on how well I took care of my gums and my flossing technique. However, the exam/x-rays were a shocker. I need two bridges to correct teeth broken from fillings coming out, two root canals and crowns on my back molars, and six other fillings
! I started work on one of the bridges (which included two extractions - yikes) on Saturday afternoon, so I spent the rest of the day chewing on gauze and trying not to think about how awful extractions are. I will probably end up spending at least $2,500 on dental work beyond my insurance coverage, but at least I already feel better about my appearance and my smile. I firmly believe that my stbx decided to deny me the dental care because he wanted me to look terrible and never leave him - also because he felt I should suffer. Now, I'm getting myself back by getting my dental health back. It is a good, if expensive, feeling!
I know what you mean about taking care of things that stbx had neglected. I have a feeling of pride every time I pay for the kiddos life insurance. I am in the same boat you are with needing to go to the dentist and take care of everything that had been neglected while stbx wouldn't carry dental insurance or let me go to the dentist (funny aside, all of a sudden it is important to him to go to the dentist and get *his* teeth taken care of, he deosn't want cavities with is new love 
: ). I have a tooth that I know is broken and I am just dreading going and letting them fix it....I don't want a bridge or a root canal. it sounds so scary to me!! Anyway, glad you are taking care of you 
