my teeth, continued.

It's been a minute since I updated you folks on my teeth, so here goes. As you all know by now, my teeth have been a source of shame and embarrassment for as long as I can remember. Ever noticed that I never show my teeth in photos?

As a kid I was a candidate for braces, but my working class family simply couldn't afford them. Combine that with years of bad experiences at my small town dentist, and in 2006 or so I stopped going completely.

Fast forward to New Year's Day 2018, when I felt part of a tooth break during brunch with friends. I snuck off to the bathroom and sure enough, there was a little piece of cracked tooth. UGH.

My teeth were already crooked and heavily stained with tartar and plaque, but now were they actually disintegrating before my eyes?! I put on my big girl pants and decided to face my fear. Immediately.

my first trip to the dentist

I'd heard good things about Le Cabinet Dental in Westboro, so I found their email address, sent them a note, and the dentist herself wrote me back IMMEDIATELY. Like immediately. During the holidays. She had an opening on January 3 and I grabbed it.

As I walked through the door I was so nervous I thought I was going to be sick. I nearly invented a fake phone call just so I could leave.. you know, "sorry, gotta take this!" But I forced myself through the door.

We began with a gazillion dental photos and X-rays... we got up close and personal with my least favourite feature. My hygienist, Chloe, said I didn't have to view my photos if I didn't want to (so I didn't), and there was a TV in the ceiling so I could distract myself. She was incredibly kind and kept me informed as she worked: turns out my chipped tooth was heavy tartar that had cracked off. Gross, but phew.

When it came time to see the dentist (gulp), she was completely lovely and I had lots of time with her. WAY more than I'd ever had with my small town dentist who just seemed to dash in and out of the room.

Even though I was nervous as hell, I felt comfortable with Dr. Guberman: there was zero judgement over my long absence from dentistry, she answered my cajillion questions, and she focused on the positive (no bone loss in my teeth, and they were already at least 2 shades lighter just from the cleaning).

After that first appointment, I felt like a completely different person. In 90 minutes, a decade of dread and anxiety had lifted away and I was actually smiling at people. Even strangers on the 95! I wish I'd been brave enough to do this for myself years ago but I'm so glad I finally did.

Ultimately I went back to Le Cabinet three times within two weeks: Dr. Guberman's team divided my cleanings and fillings into multiple visits so I wouldn't feel overwhelmed by a marathon appointment. That also helped to limit swelling from my fillings and discomfort from my whitening treatments.

I joked with them that I squeezed 10 years of dental work into about 10 days.

meet the team

Wanna meet the team? From left to right:

- Carmen, Office Manager (wizard of insurance forms and she has an Airstream!)

- Mackenzie, Registered Dental Hygienist (check out her food blog, Food, Vino, Soul)

- Dr. Guberman, Doctor of Medical Dentistry (she's a skincare fan like me, we gabbed about serums)

- Chloe, Registered Dental Hygienist (ask her anything about travel, camping, or music)

You know what? I truly miss these amazing women now that I haven't been in a few weeks. I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but already my dental appointments feel more like self-care than a source of anxiety. Even typing that feels surreal.

I still have a long road ahead, so stay tuned for my updates on gum surgery (to the tune of $2k), and hopefully Invisalign if I can afford it ($7.5k).

Dr. Guberman, Chloe, Mackenzie, and Carmen: you have truly given me my smile back. Thank you.

no, this sh#t ain't sponsored

One thing I want to make clear: I am not being paid to talk about Le Cabinet. If I was, I would be honest and tell you right up front. I'm simply sharing my personal experience at their practice because it has already had a profound impact on my dental and emotional health.

My greatest wish is that anyone with anxieties like mine can find a place where they'll have such a positive, caring, and human experience, wherever that may be. Keep on smiling, folks. xo