this morning i went to the dentist after a 2 year absence. i could've went to a dentist last year in december as soon as i had insurance again but i picked the wrong insurance. you see, i have a favorite dentist (or favorite dentist office as there is more than 1 dentist based out of there and both are excellent) and i couldn't go to him with the insurance plan i picked. once may came around it was open enrollment time. i learned from my horrible medical insurance experience to pay for the most expensive plan out there which lets you pick your own doctor. i switch both my medical and dental to the pick your own plan. so really, i could've went to my favorite dentist at the start of summer but i held off until now at the end of summer because i was busy but more to the point, lazy! remarkably, my teeth are in pretty good shape. remarkably because taking care of my teeth is not something i do well even though i value them much. again, i am too lazy to brush after every meal and floss everytime. i'm not one of those old office ladies that brings a toothbrush with them to work and brushes after lunch. except, i am starting to turn into that kind of old lady. i do have a toothbrush and toothpaste that i keep at work now. sometimes i use it but not often enough. i attribute using an electric toothbrush for the past 2 years or so as to being the main reason why my teeth are in good shape. the dentist mainly found problems with old fillings rather than decay, though i did have some, but only minor. i have to go back to replace old, worn out fillings that i've had since i was a kid. he said fillings only last about 15 years and i probably had these done when i was 11. maybe it was even the very same dentist. this favorite dentist of mine is also the first i ever went to, when i was in second grade. i like the office because they are nice, do a good job, and now are very hi-tech. they do digital x-rays and treat with lasers. there are computer monitors at each chair and they go over the x-rays with you and even put a camera in your mouth and show you up-close where your trouble spots are. this was the real eye-opener as he taught me what to look out for and it's so subtle.