A Cavity and a Resolution

Last week, I had my regular six-month dental hygienist appointment. You know the one: where they clean your pearly whites, take x-rays (if need be) and, generally, tell you that all is right with the world. Well, apparently, all is not right in my universe because I have a cavity! That’s right, a cavity. Even my dentist seemed a bit surprised. The little lovely is located between two of my molars, so I will now have to get two fillings. Not one. Two. Ain’t that just grand? If I opt for the silver amalgam version, the cost is $41.30 after insurance; if I decide to go with the white, matched-to-your-teeth variety, the price is ~$193.00 post insurance. The fillings are for my molars. Who will be looking there? I think silver. Then again…

Today, one week later, I had the filling installed. I cheaped out and went with silver. The dental assistant explained to me that the silver amalgam fillings are a bit stronger than the white ones, and that the location of my cavity would fare better with a stronger material. It really was a no-brainer. Two shots of Novocain, some drilling, and 45 minutes later, my teeth were “back to normal.” Hopefully, they will stay that way.