Another Chapter in the Never-Ending Story

We were privileged to have employment-based dental insurance throughout her life so we did ALL the things – regular check-ups and cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants on her molars to prevent decay from the typical childhood diet of EWWWW BROCCOLI and gummy bears. It was a new dentist and she noted the nonexistence of fillings in Adrienne’s teeth and tactfully started asking about changes in diet or dental hygiene that might account for the five cavities and bone loss in her mouth. Adrienne politely answered all of her questions and then said:

The dentist nodded in acknowledgement because there it was. The reason that my girl’s perfect teeth and jaw were no longer perfect. And another reason why cancer is a never-ending story. Adrienne recently acquired dental insurance through her husband’s new workplace which is why she went in. The fact that she was able to take advantage of our dental plan until she was twenty-five (a year and a half before her diagnosis) and had zero symptoms of decay meant she was unpleasantly surprised by the exam results. She was able to get four of the five cavities filled right away and is waiting until after the insurance resets in July to take a look at the fifth one. It is very low on the tooth surface and there is bone loss so it’s possible the only course of treatment will be to remove the tooth.

Excuse me while I go scream into a pillow.

I remember my doctor telling me that taking care of your teeth is very important because eating many of the healthiest foods means you have to be able to bite down and chew… HARD. I know it seems obvious but it hadn’t occurred to me that keeping my teeth in good shape would help me maintain the rest of my health. In that moment, though, I looked at her and thought “And how are people who aren’t lucky enough to have dental insurance supposed to afford that?” Now after Adrienne’s check-up I think…

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