Yesterday, I went to the dentist to have a mold created for my very first crown, and a temporary crown placed on my decayed tooth from last May. While I have gotten over the fact that an unexpected side effect of pregnancy was a decayed tooth, I still have not gotten over that I’m getting a crown before the age of 40. I’ve always taken such good care of my teeth (at least, what was within my power), and so just thinking about how I had to get this done, plus that god-awful root canal last spring, was really a dent into my self esteem.

The other sad thing is that this tooth that decayed, had a root canal, and is now getting a crown is right next to one of my two baby teeth that still linger in my mouth. As a previous dentist once said, “they are hanging on angel wings.” There’s literally no root for them to hold onto in my gums. And the latest x-rays show that the bit of bone that they used to hang on… has since deteriorated since pregnancy, likely meaning that pregnancy was also a culprit for this bone wearing away. This baby tooth next to my soon-to-be crowned tooth could be further destabilized because of the crowning.

“You need to start saving for (tooth) implants – two of them,” my dentist warned me yesterday. “Those teeth could really go anytime… tomorrow, in two years. Who knows! But you’ll need to be ready.”

Dental health – the absolute worst. I would like to never have to get any implants, especially since a single implant from start to finish can cost $6-9K. But who knows – it may be in my uncertain future. My real takeaway from this is… even though all of this was pretty much out of my control: I need to try my very hardest to instill good dental hygiene and care into Kaia. I really do not want her to face all these issues when she’s older. And good habits start young.