July 5th, 2011 - Part 2
Jul. 5th, 2011 03:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thewalkWater drip torture has nothing on a Japanese dentist visit. I think this is the first time someone said, "otsukaresama" to me and I actually felt like I deserved it. (literally it means, "you must be tired," but it's a common pleasantry).
I went in for a cleaning, which I've done before, but this time it hurt like a mother. And on top of that, I got the obnoxious lecture about how to brush my teeth. "Let me watch you and judge you...go ahead and do it all." At one point I rudely asked in Japanese, "Am I supposed to do all of this myself?" (bitch move, I know). Still, I had no cavities, and yet it was still necessary to teach me how to brush my teeth and embarrass me with those pink dye tablets and then continue to tell me over and over that I'm doing it wrong? I shouldn't blame the hygienist, she's right after all, but on top of everything else, it wasn't a good way to start.
I don't know if it's because the hygienist was bad or if I had more plaque or what, but it really hurt. It didn't hurt like that last time though. First she went around the gum line of each tooth and just scraaaaaaped. Not at the tooth, mind you, UNDER THE GUMS. Then she cracked out this sanding tool and scratched the plaque off each tooth and I've never felt so much pain and sensitivity and utter annoyance at a dentist visit before. It felt worse than drilling (and without Novocaine!)
Like I said, this wasn't my experience last time. I can't in good conscience blame Japan on this one. Still, it was awful. Furthermore, I turned a corner too fast on my bike and the tire just bent like a wet noodle. Oddly enough, my bike broke the last time I went to the dentist, too! Perhaps the bike also hates going there. One month left, I don't want to buy a new tire! I might take a hammer to it later and see what I can do. So annoying! I NEED that bike.
This was a great way to turn a wonderful relaxing day into ultimate suck. I did, however, mention to the dentist that I'm going home soon and that scheduling is difficult, and he let me do the cleaning all in one appointment instead of splitting it into two like they usually do in Japan (which is a huge pain in the ass, so I'm VERY relieved and grateful). I'll have to go back one more time yet to do a service they charge extra for (though they do it routinely in the U.S., fuuuu :P). But knowing I won't have a job or insurance for a while back home, I figure I should take care of my teeth while it's cheap.
Though probably the most annoying thing about all this is that I can't even complain about it on Facebook because my dentist is an acquaintance and my Facebook friend haha
I went in for a cleaning, which I've done before, but this time it hurt like a mother. And on top of that, I got the obnoxious lecture about how to brush my teeth. "Let me watch you and judge you...go ahead and do it all." At one point I rudely asked in Japanese, "Am I supposed to do all of this myself?" (bitch move, I know). Still, I had no cavities, and yet it was still necessary to teach me how to brush my teeth and embarrass me with those pink dye tablets and then continue to tell me over and over that I'm doing it wrong? I shouldn't blame the hygienist, she's right after all, but on top of everything else, it wasn't a good way to start.
I don't know if it's because the hygienist was bad or if I had more plaque or what, but it really hurt. It didn't hurt like that last time though. First she went around the gum line of each tooth and just scraaaaaaped. Not at the tooth, mind you, UNDER THE GUMS. Then she cracked out this sanding tool and scratched the plaque off each tooth and I've never felt so much pain and sensitivity and utter annoyance at a dentist visit before. It felt worse than drilling (and without Novocaine!)
Like I said, this wasn't my experience last time. I can't in good conscience blame Japan on this one. Still, it was awful. Furthermore, I turned a corner too fast on my bike and the tire just bent like a wet noodle. Oddly enough, my bike broke the last time I went to the dentist, too! Perhaps the bike also hates going there. One month left, I don't want to buy a new tire! I might take a hammer to it later and see what I can do. So annoying! I NEED that bike.
This was a great way to turn a wonderful relaxing day into ultimate suck. I did, however, mention to the dentist that I'm going home soon and that scheduling is difficult, and he let me do the cleaning all in one appointment instead of splitting it into two like they usually do in Japan (which is a huge pain in the ass, so I'm VERY relieved and grateful). I'll have to go back one more time yet to do a service they charge extra for (though they do it routinely in the U.S., fuuuu :P). But knowing I won't have a job or insurance for a while back home, I figure I should take care of my teeth while it's cheap.
Though probably the most annoying thing about all this is that I can't even complain about it on Facebook because my dentist is an acquaintance and my Facebook friend haha
