Hey, Are Those my Teeth?
Well, it's been a fairly uneventful few weeks here at Goodfellow. I'll finish class tomorrow but still don't have my orders for the next leg of this journey. The guy I told you about who was going down south isn't anymore. We'll call him Utah. We were supposed to get our orders yesterday but they weren't in yet. They did tell him that he's now attaching to a unit in Hawaii. Sounds pretty rough huh? Hopefully I'll know where I'm going next by Friday. I think I'll go one more place after this and then go to Iraq. I just don't know where that one place is.
One thing that is going well is dental. I know most people don't have good stories about dental in the military but I do. I fact, while I was going through Fort Sill they weren't even fixing cavities. They were just pulling the teeth. I had a small cavity that they didn't care about. When I got here to Goodfellow I made an appointment to have it filled while I was in the states at an Air Force Base. I figured better now than an Army dentist in a tent somewhere in Iraq. That's not the good part though. First, I have to give a little history.
About 14 years ago or so I had 5 of my front teeth knocked out in a little tussle I had with somebody's foot a mirror and a brick wall. Long story short I see the teeth on the ground and figure they're no good anymore. Besides the were all broken up, so I threw them in the trash, went home and told my parents I needed to go to the dentist. Mom freaks out and I think it was my Dad that called the dentist. He says to bring the teeth and come in right away. Well, I don't have the teeth, they're in the trash can on the other side of town. Well, it was more like " I don hab da teef, vere in da traf can on da udder side ub town. He says get the teeth, put them in a cup of milk, and hurry. So we did. He re-implants the broken teeth into my mouth and gives me 5 root canals all without anesthetic. Now, once your teeth come out, your body figures they should stay out. Something about foreign bodies. I had to go back regularly for the next year or so and the dentist would drill holes up the back of my teeth and put medicine in there so my body wouldn't reject the teeth. Well, all of this worked however my front teeth were still all broken and jagged. My dentist put a temporary plastic coating on my teeth to even them out and said it would last a year or so. 14 years later I still have the plastic, but it's worn down and discolored and starting to crack. I was looking into having them capped before I was recalled but couldn't afford it. Long story short here is where the good part comes in.
I asked the dentist here if he would cap my teeth for me. He says "sure how long are you here." I say "two weeks" and he says "not long enough." However, he says, you really need a month or so to bleach your teeth so they're nice and white. Then you cap them to match a nice white color. So he made some imprints of my teeth and I pick up the trays and whitening kit Friday. The Army is paying for me to get my teeth whitened. He said if I'm at my next station long enough maybe I could talk them into doing the caps. I figure this way when they ask me to make the movie about my life I'll already have that "drive the girls wild" white smile all thanks to the Army. It's the least they could do.
One thing that is going well is dental. I know most people don't have good stories about dental in the military but I do. I fact, while I was going through Fort Sill they weren't even fixing cavities. They were just pulling the teeth. I had a small cavity that they didn't care about. When I got here to Goodfellow I made an appointment to have it filled while I was in the states at an Air Force Base. I figured better now than an Army dentist in a tent somewhere in Iraq. That's not the good part though. First, I have to give a little history.
About 14 years ago or so I had 5 of my front teeth knocked out in a little tussle I had with somebody's foot a mirror and a brick wall. Long story short I see the teeth on the ground and figure they're no good anymore. Besides the were all broken up, so I threw them in the trash, went home and told my parents I needed to go to the dentist. Mom freaks out and I think it was my Dad that called the dentist. He says to bring the teeth and come in right away. Well, I don't have the teeth, they're in the trash can on the other side of town. Well, it was more like " I don hab da teef, vere in da traf can on da udder side ub town. He says get the teeth, put them in a cup of milk, and hurry. So we did. He re-implants the broken teeth into my mouth and gives me 5 root canals all without anesthetic. Now, once your teeth come out, your body figures they should stay out. Something about foreign bodies. I had to go back regularly for the next year or so and the dentist would drill holes up the back of my teeth and put medicine in there so my body wouldn't reject the teeth. Well, all of this worked however my front teeth were still all broken and jagged. My dentist put a temporary plastic coating on my teeth to even them out and said it would last a year or so. 14 years later I still have the plastic, but it's worn down and discolored and starting to crack. I was looking into having them capped before I was recalled but couldn't afford it. Long story short here is where the good part comes in.
I asked the dentist here if he would cap my teeth for me. He says "sure how long are you here." I say "two weeks" and he says "not long enough." However, he says, you really need a month or so to bleach your teeth so they're nice and white. Then you cap them to match a nice white color. So he made some imprints of my teeth and I pick up the trays and whitening kit Friday. The Army is paying for me to get my teeth whitened. He said if I'm at my next station long enough maybe I could talk them into doing the caps. I figure this way when they ask me to make the movie about my life I'll already have that "drive the girls wild" white smile all thanks to the Army. It's the least they could do.
posted by GWM at 6:59 PM
7 Comments:
So they won't pay for the room you're staying in, but they'll pay to get your teeth whitened. Go figure. Remember that when you get to your next post..if they ask for your credit card, just flash them your gorgeously white smile and maybe they'll forget!
KSW
Hey, maybe this is the beginning of the 7 times payback. All things work together for those who are called of the Lord!
I enjoyed reading your blog. You have quite a start on your memoires. I wish you the best of luck in your travels. Prayers are sent for you daily!
A friend of your sister's at UCE.
Hey! Want even more of a make over? My mom-in-law read where they are also paying for inplants and liposuction. You are definitly coming back a changed man! Forget the six-pack! Come back with a whole case but leave those girls behind. When your home, I want to hear the long story of the "long story short". So glad you keep your sense of humor about you, otherwise, you'd be in the brig. CnH
Very interesting posts on the military. I was in the Military back in the early 80's - '91. US Army, Stationed Ft Sill, Leonardwood. I have some military websites now. Do you have any pics of GoodFellow since you were posted there? I have a website about Goodfellow and have a picture page.
Thanks,
Michael
That’s one advantage you can actually get from the Army. You acquire a lot of things for free. Having them pay for your teeth whitening is a pleasant addition. Even if you need to be tough and aggressive when you’re in the army, at the end of the day, showing up with an appealing, bright smile would help brighten up everyone’s mood.
I agree with Ethan, dental benefits are one of the perks of being in the military. The story of how you lost five of your front teeth reminded me of my favorite cousin. In his case, he lost two front teeth after he accidentally drove his bicycle to a tree. Anyway, how did your teeth whitening procedure go? I hope the results were more than you expected.
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