Week 4, in Which I Learn (at Least) 3 Things

One: I think I know what "Wite Out" tastes like. 

Two: a friend found the perfect T-shirt on Imgur:

Three: "mobile" is a term used not only for phones and work stations but also for teeth. 

Wite Out: that's the aftertaste of the fluoride treatment I got at the dentist last week. I've never actually tasted Wite Out. (Which, for anyone who's under 30 or has never used a typewriter--what's a typewriter? Oh, forget it. But Wite Out is the stuff once used to paint over mistakes on paper. Before there was such a thing as a delete button. Before "undo" was possible. I know all this because I am a late-life brace wearer.) So no, I've never tasted Wite Out, but I've smelled it often enough, and now I think I know what it would taste like.

I wasn't anxious to have sharp tools in my mouth, which is finally feeling somewhat better. Other than a couple of spots inside my upper lip (a little roll of gauze gives it a break at night), I'm now pain free 99% of the time. But my inquiries revealed that yes, I should I keep my appointment. Not only that but it's recommended for brace-wearers to visit the dentist more often. More joy! It turned out to be a typical appointment and my fears were calmed until the hygienist found an exposed area on a tooth next to my most troublesome extraction site. I was done. She told me my dentist (sister) would probably want to remove the troublesome buildup when she saw it. I told her, "No, she won't--not without a needle full of anesthetic!" In the end, no one went near it again. 

And the awful-tasting fluoride? I get to experience this at every visit until the braces are off. It's sticky and awful-tasting (yes, like Wite Out) and it's painted on at the end of the appointment. After I assiduously avoided the horrid stuff with my tongue the whole time she was painting it on, the hygienist told me to "lick all around it" to make it bond. Really? Then, no hot drinks or brushing for six hours. And the aftertaste. Just plain awful.

The T-shirt speaks for itself: hilarious.

And what are mobile teeth? Just that: they're teeth on the move. Some of my teeth feel like they're going to just fall out. Luckily, they're being held in by these little pieces of metal. I think I mentioned dreaming of my teeth coming out in an earlier blog. According to dream interpreters, this is supposed to mean the dreamer is concerned about things happening that are out of their control. In my case, I think it means I'm worried my teeth might fall out. Of course I know they need to move--that's the whole point. But it never occurred to me they'd be so loose while they were at it. I've been told not to worry. It's normal. Especially for someone my age. All-righty then. They just had to go there...