Fingernails on a Chalkboard

I had my teeth filed today.

Which is to say, I had 0.2mm of tooth enamel sanded off two teeth to make room for one tooth that is being crowded out.

Having had braces twice so far now, and having had to go back into orthodontia to correct misaligned teeth also twice now, I am determined that this be the last time I have to adjust my teeth. The first time I wore my retainer out. The second time, the dog ate my retainer. This time, I'm going with retainer backups: when something disastrous happens to my retainers, I'll have another to use while I have a backup made. Dammit.

Yeah, so, to make room for the ever-shrinking puny head's jaw, I had two teeth filed down. The dentist started with the 0.2mm saw and a lot of pressure, and let's just say that didn't go very well.

Turns out, I have strong enamel.

Go me, the flouride in my water, the milk I drank as a kid, and my mom for serving us milk instead of sodas as a kid.

And I have very tight teeth.

Also, go me, the milk, the flouride and the Mom.

So, the dentist dropped down a saw width, and tried again.

And dropped down another size, and tried again.

And dropped down another size, and tried again.

And dropped down another size, and tried again.

And gave up, retrieved the sanding strip that has only one abrasive side, and sanded one side of the gap. When that was successful, hey, the thinnest saw fits between my teeth! Hot damn!

After filing for a bit, the next size up fit. File for a bit, and the next size moved up. You see where this is going.

When she was done, the 0.2mm spacer fit between my teeth. Great! The ARRRRRRGH fingernails on the chalkboard feeling of someone sanding my teeth was over!

Except I had another set of spacers to make.

*shudder*

I really do not like having my teeth filed. It was an unpleasant experience.

And now I have these giant (HUGE! 0.2mm HUGE!) gaps between my teeth where food gets stuck. People all over have these gaps and ARGH doesn't it drive you nuts?

That "argh, drives me nuts" is why I'm in the dentist's office, having my teeth filed so that I can have them move, so that they can shift into tight again, so that I DON'T have these gaps.

Three times is a charm. I am so way not doing this again.