Do I appear to drool?

I had a little black spot sitting on the surface of one of my bottom molars. For a while, I thought it was food and tried to brush it away. Then I forgot about it for a few weeks. When I saw it again, suspicion set in (I'm a little slow, I know). Upon poking it with the end of a plastic dental pick, I realized it was indeed a cavity. *sigh*

It took me a while to remember to call the dentist's office during business hours. Does anyone else remember all of the phone calls they were supposed to make as they are climbing into bed? Then I saw that the black spot was gaining strength and I finally made the call. It's a little tricky to schedule appointments with 3 kids still at home and a 4th kid jumping off a bus at lunchtime.

Today was the day. I struggled a little to find someone to watch all 4 kids (including a nursing baby who has never used a bottle) for the 2 1/2 - 3 hours I would need them for. I was blessed with the kindness of a friend who is so nice to my kids, they probably dreaded coming back home with a mean mom. They were all fine, including Sarah. She made sure I fed her first thing when we got back, though!

Now I'm home and suffering from a numb right side and a tongue that feels swollen (even though I know it's not). I ended up having 2 cavities: one on top and the one on the bottom. That is a whole lot of anesthetic! It's a little tricky to swallow, which I'm careful to watch because the thought of drooling while I'm awake is unpleasant. I'm a bit thirsty, but it's likely just the power of suggestion. I'm holding off until I'm sure I can get it down! I'm glad I have 3 more hours before dinner. I'll have to remember not to schedule fillings near mealtimes.

Before I got the cavities filled, I had my teeth cleaned. The lady doing it was very nice, but she talked a lot. I began to see that this is a very good job for someone who likes to talk, as long as they don't want the other person to reply. And while she wasn't the classic "gossip" type, I did notice a tendency in her. It was killing me the way she kept pulling her mask down to talk and resting her cleaning tools on her knees while she did. I kept thinking of Sarah starving while I sat in that chair forever! On the flip-side, it's a very strange thing to stare at a face (upside down) with only eyes visible. Sometimes, it was nice when that mask came off and I could reassure myself that she had a nose and mouth!