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New Bedtime; New Dentist

The new method of getting to bed earlier is working. Last week I had the idea to see going to bed on time as punctuality. (Punctuality is a virtue to me because I so dislike covering for an employee who often shows up very late or waiting on people who are late just because they're diddling around.) I've generally been getting to bed between 10:45 and 11:00. I had a lapse last night because I lost track of time taking pictures to enter a contest for a kitchen makeover. But I haven't been staying up until midnight. I've not only been less tired, but less hungry. I even got up early one morning and worked out. It's been wonderful not to drag bleary-eyed through the day.

*****

I had to find an new dentist since the last one quit taking my insurance. After searching reviews on the internet, and trying to decide which ones could be trusted, I settled on a dentist off East Colfax. In Denver, the character of a neighborhood can vary from block to block. There are places within walking distance of my house that I don't walk to. But East Colfax in general is gritty and marginal. I took the 15 bus (which one magazine recommended for people looking for an adventure), got off on East Colfax, and stepped over broken pavement and under overgrown trees, wondering if I was in the right place. A block later, I was catty-cornered from new luxury apartments and across from an old office building.

The dentist's office looked clean and well-kept (and so did the dentist). They took 18 x-rays and didn't see the cavity that my old dentist said needed filled. I'd honestly forgotten about it and didn't remember it until I left. Hmmm. Maybe lower overhead lets you be more honest, or at least less enthusiastic about pushing procedures. The new dentist didn't seem to think the fillings that needed to be replaced were a big deal; one of them is going to wait until my next cleaning in November. So I can once again say I haven't developed any new cavities since starting low-carb.

This dentist suggested I brush the back of my tongue better to get rid of bacteria, brush more gently for the sake of my gums, and drink diet soda through a straw. And he agreed readily to give me an anesthetic without epinephrine, a drug that's given me heart palpitations for weeks when I've had it. It looks like I've found a winner.

Comments

Hope your new dentist works out ok.

All the best Jan
Lori Miller said…
He was great--and it felt so much better to do without the epinephrine.

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