I got my root canal and then got a temporary crown. The root canal was done by an endodontist. The temp crown by my regular dentist. I will get a permanent crown on the 18th. My dentist, when she was cementing the temp crown, praised me TWICE for how well I take care of my teeth. The first time was in the context of warning me not to floss up and down around tooth 31 (the last one for me as my wisdom teeth were taken out in 1994) but instead to just go down and pull out from the side. She basically said that since I normally floss so well, I could go overboard and she warned me. The second time, I do not know why she praised me but I was so pleased and wanted to share with you all. I then suggested to my dentist that perhaps to be gentler on tooth 31, I should temporarily switch to Water flossing but she advised against it; she said that water can weaken the temporary cement.

She also told me that other old crowns (more than a decade old) should ideally be replaced but that she was not sure about my finances as this crown plus the root canal that preceded it would exhaust my insurance max for this year. I thought about it and agreed to do one crown out of pocket, the one she deems to be in the worst shape.

So that is my status update. I have had to take a break from MSF. I have missed you all!