Disclaimer: This post talks a lot about teeth. In particular, bad teeth. If for some reason you are sensitive to such a topic or just plain don’t want to hear about it, kindly feel free to skip this one. 
Today marks 22 days until our wedding. I’ll soon (as in a few hours) be leaving to Las Vegas for my bachelorette party and I know when I return I’ll only need blink twice and November 11th will be here. With that said, I can’t quite be excited yet. Having been engaged for just a couple months shy of two years, I was certain that I’d be overcome with joy (and perhaps nerves) once the under-30-days mark hit.
But, as I said, I can’t be excited quite yet.
You see, about four months ago I chipped a molar while eating a chocolate chip. Yeah. A chocolate chip (I told you I was a chocaholic). Anyway, seeing as how I currently have no dental insurance, I thought I’d be okay with just thorough brushes twice a day, some mouth rinses and (since I’m being honest, occasional) flossing. Well, all was fine until about three weeks ago when I notice a bump below the gum line of my broken tooth. My heart sank because I knew what this was—an abscess. Considering abscesses are signs of infection, I knew I needed to seek prompt dental care.
Cue the full-blown anxiety attack.
Dental care for me meant, well, going to the dentist. And I am terrified of the dentist. Despite practicing good oral hygiene, I’ve always had “bad” teeth. When I was 6 I had to have two abscesses removed and two baby molars pulled and it hurt. Going to the dentist does not signal “a good time” to my brain.
It also meant coming up with more money as I’d surely have to pay out of pocket for any necessary dental work. I did some research and was actually able to purchase some affordable insurance. The only hitch was that it wouldn’t be effective until November 1st. I realized my situation was pressing and required more urgent care so I made an appointment with a local dentist running an affordable deal on dental exams. While waiting for said appointment, I saw my regular medical doctor and was prescribed some medicine to tide me over.
And a week ago I went in for my first dental appointment in…years. I really think I was more embarrassed than terrified, but I went anyway. As I feared, the news was less than optimal. I actually had two abscessed teeth AND a gum infection. Yes, hive and I can’t even believe I’m sharing all of this with you. Anyhow, considering my coverage doesn’t kick in until the first of next month, they decided it would be in my best interest, financially, to start my work then. So, 10 days before my wedding I will be treated for my gum infection, and 9 days before my wedding I will have oral surgery to extract TWO molars.
This date with the oral surgeon and his pliers, my friends, is preventing me from feeling excitement about our upcoming wedding. The kind dentist assured me that the swelling will have gone down in time for my big day and proclaimed it was better to take care of the abscesses ASAP rather than running the risk of a dental emergency on the day of our wedding. Her logic is sound so I suppose there’s not really away around it and that makes me sad and nervous.
I wanted to spend the week before my wedding stressing about OOT bags and assembling programs not laying in bed eating soup and wallowing in my guilt (because after all it is my own fault) and self-pity. I also can’t help but fear that the swelling will not actually have gone away and that I’ll forever have wedding photos of me with swollen cheeks!
In summation, things can and likely will go wrong both before and on your wedding day. I don’t really think it’s possible to make lemonade out of lemons in this situation, but I am doing my best to have a sense of humor about everything. It’s surely typical of my luck to experience this sort of misfortune prior to such an important day, but I will take it with stride…and a couple less teeth.
Keep smiling, kids! And go to the dentist every six months. 
Did you experience any sort of hiccups before your wedding? How’d you handle it?
omg thats terrible 
At least while you are laying in bed, you can give all your left over chores to do to family members! 
they will want to do anything to help.
I LOATHE the dentist with every fiber of my being. I’ve had issues with my teeth all my life and there is nothing that makes me more nauseous then smelling Novocain and sleeping gas in the dentist office. OMG I’m getting nauseous now.
Basically, I’m sorry this is happening and I feel ya!
Oh No Miss Seal! How is this for lemonade…You will be able to have LOTS of chocolate milkshakes after you get the teeth pulled…. I mean cold helps swelling go down right?
I wouldn’t worry too much about puffy pictures…There is not much these days that make up and photo shop can’t fix! I am sure you will be radiant no matter what!
It’s definitely a HUGE inconvenience having such a thing happen during a VERY stressful time in your life, however, it’s a matter that should be tended to A.S.A.P. You do not want to run the risk of the infection getting worse.
Oh my gosh. Ohhh my gosh you poor thing!! You have me freaked, now.. I haaaate going to the dentist, mainly because I still have a baby tooth and they always pick at it and I’m terrified it’s going to fall out and I’ll have a gap tooth smile. I should have gone for my 6 month exam.. 4 months ago. I just don’t wanna. Pout. The thing is, if my tooth does fall out? I’d need an implant which means metal braces. No please!
I hope the surgery goes well for you.. on the bright side, you should hopefully have enough recovery time so that there’s no residual swelling on the big day!
Don’t worry! You will get the swelling down in time! Just be sure to take your meds, compresses, and REST! It will be fine!
Oh dear! You poor thing! I totally understand your hatred for the dentist, no fun. I hope everything goes smoothly. It does sound like you will have enough time to recover, but I understand the stress. Hugs!
Aw, not good news at all. I’ll be thinking of you and hoping everything goes smoothly!
OMG the same thing happened to me right before my wedding! well, not exactly the same thing, but I have a genetic condition that makes my gums very delicate, and I got a popcorn kernel stuck up in my gumline on one of my canines. Long story short, in just a few days I had NECROTIZING GINGIVITIS. otherwise known as thrush, that ate away several millimeters of gum tissue all alone the left side of my mouth and it was bleeding and gray and disgusting…did I mention this was days before my wedding?
My dentists prescribed me antibiotics and I made it through my wedding, but I have spent over $500 on attendant issues with my teeth since. I am also dentist-phobic and its been years, but I am a bit neurotic about my teeth and floss all the time with various flossers and waterpiks so it just seemed really unfair. sorry you are having this issue, its such a nightmare…my suggestion is to ask for laughing gas, it really helps me get through the appointments without pain or anxiety.
Oh I share your fear of the dentist! I am going next week for the first time in years, and I’m terrified! I hope everything goes well – and it’ll be better to have it finished with so you can spend those last 7 day doing wedding stuff!
Don’t worry, the swelling will go down. If you get close and are worried, they can give you a steroid pill to make the swelling go away ASAP. (I had a tooth pulled this summer, and had a job interview the next day, so the oral surgeon dude gave me this steroid pill. (And it worked.) And yes, get it taken care of before. There is nothing that compares to a tooth (abcess) gone bad – I had one blow up on me just about a year ago. I had NEVER had that kind of pain before. (I was crying from the pain, and I’m not a crier at all.) Was on vicodin and heavy duty antibiotics for a week afterward – miserable. But that’s because I let it go too long. If you have the work done first, you’ll be fine, really. (PM me if you need any virtual hand-holding… I too have always had really bad teeth, and avoided the dentist. It had been six years since I’d been to the dentist when my tooth blew up last October. My old dentist had died and I just never found a new one. That’s a good excuse, right? 
) Good luck, Seal! (And sorry that I wrote a novel, here…)
I am embarrassed to admit how long it has been since I have seen the dentist. Good for you for manning up and going. But now than the day of. Good luck!
It’s a good thing you are getting it fixed beforehand. The last thing you want is a full blown mouth issue while you are away because that can be so painful, irritating and frustrating. I am so sorry this is happening to you, Seal. But, the bright side is atleast this will be all be taken care of. Your swelling will definitely go down in time. This is coming from someone who has had 8 permanent teeth pulled plus 4 wisdom teeth. (I was borh with too many teeth! weird.) I hope everything goes smoothly for you!
I feel ya! I’ve had more cavities than I can count! And 3 root canals! I’ve finally got my oral care on track, but before that I had 4 wisdom teeth removed and then another tooth pulled because the crown had cracked. So I’ve had two oral surgeries within a year. And honestly, it’s not that bad. After about 3 or 4 days, I was just taking some Advil once in a while. And you won’t be swollen after 9 days. You just aren’t supposed to chew on that side of the mouth, so you might not get to enjoy your wedding dinner Good luck!
i wouldn’t worry. my mom had to have surgery to get a tooth removed due to a previous dentist’s shoddy work (still can’t get over that part) and though her face was REALLY swollen the first 2 days, it was back to normal 4 days after the surgery.
so no worries
You have such a great attitude about what is a really crummy situation, Miss Seal! I’m praying everything gets fixed wonderfully and you’re nice and healed by the wedding!
I am so sorry you are going through this. How horrible. You will be in my thoughts and hoping for a quick recovery and healing.
You’re California does Mr. Seal have dental coverage? Maybe you could be added to his policy before then. When I was in transition I got added to SO’s health and dental policies. Thank goodness because I ended up needing it.
And I know what you mean about the dentist. Before this year I had not been to the dentist in SEVEN years. How embarrassing. As a child I went all the time without problems, but as an irrational fears kicked in.
Mrs. Seal, San Francisco Age and Occupation: 25, Personal Assistant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Sales and Support Specialist Engagement Date: December 12, 2009 Wedding Date: November 2011 Venue: Sts Peter and Paul Church/The Bently Reserve About Me: I am a goofy, wannabe crafty, well-intentioned Renaissance Woman (OK, perhaps "aimless wanderer" is a more aptly suited term for me, but hopefully you get the point)—basically I dabble in just about everything and pride myself in such. Without warning, I occasionally breakout into soulful improvised songs and interpretive dances and there's just no stopping me! As so many others before me, planning our wedding has unearthed a deep, intense passion for all things bridal and I secretly fear the day it will come to an end. Mr. Seal and I are quite the pair and life with him by my side is extremely rewarding—I am so thankful to have found him. Together we are planning a black-tie San Francisco affair for 250—light on the stuffiness and with lots of extra Seal-y flair.
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