i went to the dentist today to address some pain i'd been having since last year; i ran out of insurance, so i had to wait till now to go back and finish up some work. it was also 6 months since my last real cleaning. so they took x-rays and asked where i was having pain. "my upper right and lower left," i said, although that's where i've had root canals, so, theoretically, i shouldn't feel anything there... i was expecting to hear some definitive explanation of why i was hurting, but all i got back was "are you sure that's where it hurts? 'cause you have 3 cavities and one fractured filling, but they're all on the upper left." fantastic. my upper left doesn't bother me at all, but that's where i currently have decay. all this appointment did was tell me that there's no explanation for my actual pain and no explanation for why i don't have pain where the obvious problems are . the dentist told me i should go back to my endodontist (specialist) so that he can work on the tooth that is hurting me so much, though he doesn't know why it hurts. if i don't have dentures by 2006, it'll be a miracle . for those who didn't read today's wisdom of the day, see your dentist twice a year and floss!!! i can't stress these enough. i do both of those things and my teeth are still fucked. but most people i know haven't seen a dentist in years, and i can just foresee their mouths becoming like mine; i mean, i take better care of my teeth than most people, so the rest of the world is either incredibly lucky or headed for a fall. don't delay!!!