Don't like new

I'm killing a few minutes before lunch with my IT friend, the one who took over most of my customers.  He asked to meet.  Something about a new project.  He's looking for someone to bounce ideas off of or someone to help.  Either  way should be interesting and he's paying for lunch.  He wanted to go to a place right by us called Torchy's Tacos.  The name says it all and I don't much like spicy.  But there is another Mex restaurant also right next to us and I suggested that.  It is five minutes from the house so really nice for me.  

So I've got that and then at 1:30 I've got dental.  Also pretty close.  I'll stop by the house and brush first.  

But new dentist and new hygenist.  Yuch.  I'm sure it will be fine as long as they don't find anything.

Dana's doc says she needs a molar pulled.  We spent a BUNCH of money a year ago trying to save it and now they want a BUNCH more to remove it.  They don't do insurance so it is pretty pricey.  They are good but not much help financially.

Turns out that nearly all dental practices now days use rotating specialists to remove molars and such.  So you could have the same doc at a different dentist and costing different amount.  I did some research and found a highly rated doc that makes the rounds.  Fully certified specialist in what she needs and he does it at a dentist right by us who is in our insurance plan.  No idea yet how much that will cost but I'm guessing much less for about the same care.  She's only going to meet whatever dentist does the work the one time, when she has it done, so no matter which place she has it.  Fingers crossed it works out.  Probably $1500 difference for the same work.

Dana has way more dental problems than I do.   

Probably not something I should say before going to the dentist for the first time in a year.

Worse than expected

I walked out in the middle of my dental appointment.  The dental hygienist was doing that thing where they stick a sharp metal point in your gum and say some numbers:

Periodontal Probing

A periodontal probe (a small instrument resembling a tiny ruler) is gently inserted into the spaces between your teeth and gums. The depth of these gum pockets is measured to assess gum health. 

I looked it up.

In the past I've had some do a fairly good job, obviously trying not to hurt me.  I've had a couple of hygienists actually do it without hurting me.  As it says above "GENTLY INSERTED".

The guy today was on task after having said something about letting him know if anything hurt.  I did.  He was just doing his thing and it hurt and I did the grunt thing that is all you can do with someone's hand in your mouth.  Then he did it again and I moved my chin to the side to get him out and told him it hurt when he did that.  

The fourth time I said 'stop, you are hurting me, I've had this done without someone hurting me so I know it can be done.'  He, of course, said 'you've got some gum issue developing (for 40 years I've had 'some gum issues developing'... nothing new).  He was obviously just going to keep doing what he'd been doing.  He finally said 'would you like to reschedule?' and it was my cue to leave.  So I did.  Thanks but no thanks.

Although my records were with this dentist having used their office for years when my friend was the dentist there, I've got no allegiance to them.  The admin was great, the first woman who polished my teeth (but was not the dental hygenist... ??) was great.  The hygenist was NOT and that's the one I was going to spend most of the appointment with.

So when Dana goes to this new facility right by us I'll set up with them.  They are in network with my insurance company and the experience has to be better than the guy I dumped.  

I've got a bunch of conflicting thoughts but ultimately just did not like the guy's approach and will look for a better one.