It was exactly 4 months after this cleaning was originally scheduled (May 21) that Golden State Smiles was able to reschedule the appointment. I arrived 10 minutes early because I didn’t know exactly what to expect, other than being instructed to wear a mask.
There were 6 chairs in the waiting room that normally held 3 rows of 6-8 chairs each, side by side. The small TV that had been in one upper corner of the room near the ceiling had been replaced by a large-screen TV on a low wooden table, with signs admonishing patients: DO NOT TOUCH THE TV and DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN PLAY IN THIS AREA. The magazines and pamphlets had been removed from their racks.
The full-figured Latina receptionist had a Plexiglass shield in front of her with a two-inch slot at the bottom where papers could be exchanged. She had to take my temperature (touchless forehead) and gave me an extra sheet to fill out to answer the questions, such as: “In the last 7 days, have you had a fever?” “Have you had a cough?” “Have you had trouble breathing?” All my answers were NO until the last two that were YES: “Are you over 60?” and “Do you have a chronic disease?” and diabetes was in that list.
I knew that I was due for x-rays, and that was the first thing that happened. I think the only difference was that we both wore masks and the hygienist wore gloves. I just took off the mask for the actual x-rays. After that, she ushered me into a treatment room. She left and came back with a detailed treatment plan of the day for my routine cleaning. My co-pay was $193.00 (as I had expected) and I had to sign before treatment could begin. After she took the signed papers back to the “office,” she came back and gave me a plastic cup, instructing me to rinse for one minute then spit in the sink. She said it was a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. I swished for what I thought was one minute (there was no clock in the room).
When she came back, the first thing she did was to measure my pockets. She had to do it by herself; there was no assistant helping her by writing down the numbers in my chart. She squirted “numbing gel” on my gums, put the water vacuuming tool in one corner of my mouth, then proceeded with the cleaning. First, it was using a tool on my gum line, all around my mouth, then using another tool to scrape off the plaque on all the teeth. Occasionally she would stop and squirt water in my mouth to rinse it then suck up the water with the vacuum thing. Then she used what I think was a polishing tool that whirred around a bit.Â
She said the dentist would be in to check me and then she (the hygienist) would be back after that to put on the fluoride (which I noticed on the treatment plan was $60). After a while, my Indian DDS, Dr. Munjpara, came in. She (as well as the dental hygienist) had their beautiful long black hair pulled into a tight little bun at the nape of the neck and then had a head covering that hid all of the hair, with a mesh pocket in the back for the bun. They both wore a face shield.
Dr. Munjpara had had time to look at my x-rays, and she determined that I needed a filling for a cavity that was between two teeth on the left front side, under a filling that would need to be removed, the cavity cleaned out, and a new filling put in to replace the old one. Again, I had to sign papers authorizing the filling, which brought my total payment for the day to $419. Mind you, this is with the “insurance” that Kaiser provides to Medicare patients. I think it covers about 20% of the cost. At least, there is no charge to me for the x-rays.
The two women scurried around behind me, gathering the tools and supplies that would be needed for the filling, which they said would take about 15 minutes. Dr. Munjpara warned me before giving me the anesthesia injection (and that was honestly the only pain that I experienced during the entire process. I was practicing meditation and mindful breathing during this time! Then they left to give time for the anesthesia to take effect.
When Dr. Munjpara came back in, she was accompanied by a young, brown-skinned male, who I assumed was a Dental Assistant, wearing the same kind of mask, gloves, and plastic face shield. Dr. Munjpara worked quickly but precisely and, indeed, did not take more than 15 minutes for the entire procedure. The meditation and mindful breathing had relaxed me sufficiently that I was able to just sit, doing nothing except holding still enough for the two practitioners to work.
After the filling, the hygienist did not come back in to apply the fluoride, so Dr. Munjpara did it herself. I was surprised at how sloppy she was. She was using a solution on a Q-tip, and the dental assistant had to keep mopping it up from my face where Dr. Munjpara was dropping it. There was also quite a bit of fluoride on my lips, because when I put my mask back on, it was very sticky inside!
Then I was done.
I went out to the “office” to pay and noticed there were only two “girls” there, where there had been four previously. The receptionist motioned for me to stand behind the counter instead of beside her desk, where I had always stood to pay. I gave her my credit card as she mumbled the total and then scrolled through the digital appointment calendar on her computer to schedule the next cleaning in 6 months.
It was amazingly easy for me to exit the Golden Smiles’ tiny crowded parking lot. I drove across the street to Walgreen’s and picked out their last 6-pack of CR2032 batteries (for my new OneTouch Verio Flex glucometer). The cashier and I had casual conversation about how long the CR2032 batteries last–or don’t last! I paid $20 for 6 batteries. I don’t remember ever paying this much for glucose meter batteries nor the batteries needing to be replaced this often! By my calculations, I will need to fork over twenty bucks for batteries every 12 weeks from now on!
On the way home, I tried to see if there was any indication on our regular smog inspection station that it was Star-certified (which is what my DMV paperwork says is required this year). It is! (One less thing to worry about now.)
