I used to think of myself as a person with great teeth?I was 21 before I had my first cavity?but pregnancy changed all that. Ever since my son?s birth, my teeth have been falling apart. Literally. In spite of endless brushing and flossing, my teeth are decaying so rapidly that sometimes a chunk of tooth will just break off. It?s demoralizing (not to mention painful, inconvenient and really, really expensive).
I?ve spent the past month and a half bouncing in and out of dental offices. So far it?s been two trips to see my regular dentist, three trips to the endodontist and a brief appointment with an oral surgeon.
But one recent visit really irked me.
?They tell you kids cost a lot of money, but no one told me about this side of it,? I joked recently while forking over a cool thousand dollars for my latest root canal. ?Pregnancy really messed up my teeth and they haven?t been the same since.? ?Aww, you poor thing,? the receptionist replied. ?But it?s all worth it, isn?t it" Considering what you got out of it.?
Photo: Courtesy of Anne Thériault
?It was worth it, wasn?t it"? has become part of our lexicon when discussing pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum issues. I?ve certainly used it when describing my own experiences?I can?t even count the number of times when I?ve reflexively finished the story of my C-section with ?but it was all worth it.? Saying it felt a bit like knocking on wood, a way of ensuring that I didn?t jinx my child?s existence in this world. Aft...