Crowns, pens, and other things
Jan. 27th, 2016 11:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tbutlerSo now, I have a temporary crown on one tooth, while I wait for the permanent crown to come back from the dental lab. Ow.
Since I got caught by surprise because I hadn't fully prepared and asked questions, I thought I'd la the procedure out for those who might have interest. Also, in hopes of encouraging others to avoid the same fate by taking better care of their teeth! :)
To start with, a crown is a 'cap' that holds the boy of a tooth together, so it doesn't fall out completely and leave a hole. The reasons for needing to do this are varied; in my case, the walls of the tooth were starting to fracture. Possibly the metal filling in the center had taken away too much of the tooth's structural integrity; possibly I hadn't been giving it enough fluoride; probably I was putting too much pressure by clenching or even grinding my teeth. In any case, the tooth wasn't bad enough to require a root canal, but it needed to be reinforced.
To prepare, first the dentist has to prepare the surface of the tooth - essentially using a dental drill to shape and smooth the surface into a neat plug that the crown can cover without any catching or stress. Fortunately, the area was numbed by a topical anesthetic, so I didn't really feel anything at the time; the burning smell was rather disconcerting, though.
Next, the dentist used a gun-shaped device to create a mosaic of the upper and lower jaw in the area of the tooth. This lets the dental lab build a 3D model of that jaw area, and produce a crown that will match the opposing tooth. I gather this part of the process is fairly new. The model gets sent off to produce the permanent crown, which in this case is being CNC milled out of a single piece of zirconium. (The stuff they make imitation diamonds out of.) While the permanent crown is being produced, the dentist puts a temporary crown on; this one you have to be careful of, to make sure it doesn't get pulled off. That's where I am now.
The worst part of the process actually hasn't been the drilling. In order to make the most accurate scan, the dentist put a drying compound along the gum do the saliva wasn't muddying up the tooth; unfortunately, the application scraped up my gum, and it's still somewhat sore and tender.
So. I strongly suggest that you all take better care of your teeth so you don't have to go through this. :) And if you do, it's best to get it done and over with quickly; the stronger the underlying tooth surface, the longer it's likely to last!
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So, on to a happier topic, something I hope the pen enthusiasts can help with:
Anyone recognize this pen, or know where I can find more?
I first found these pens about 15 years ago, as Xmas holiday stock at Office Depot. I bought one, liked it a lot, went by to get another to find them gone; they were only carried during the holiday sales period. I kept an eye out at the Xmas sales period for the next couple of years, and managed to collect 5-6 of them. Attrition has taken its toll (the oddest loss was when one got munged in the conveyor belt of a metal detector, in one of the Federal government buildings in DC; the barrel was bent at about a 15 degree angle. I still have that one, even if it can't be used for writing). Now this is the last one I have left, and I'd like to find more but am not having any luck.
The presentation box it came in is black overall, with half the lid in a bluish-purple shade of plastic; the name on the case is 'Petrona'. I've searched on Google, Amazon, and eBay without finding this model. Anyone have suggestions where to look now? Office Depot hasn't carried them for a decade, and hasn't even carried this kind of 'gift pen' set for years. :(
Since I got caught by surprise because I hadn't fully prepared and asked questions, I thought I'd la the procedure out for those who might have interest. Also, in hopes of encouraging others to avoid the same fate by taking better care of their teeth! :)
To start with, a crown is a 'cap' that holds the boy of a tooth together, so it doesn't fall out completely and leave a hole. The reasons for needing to do this are varied; in my case, the walls of the tooth were starting to fracture. Possibly the metal filling in the center had taken away too much of the tooth's structural integrity; possibly I hadn't been giving it enough fluoride; probably I was putting too much pressure by clenching or even grinding my teeth. In any case, the tooth wasn't bad enough to require a root canal, but it needed to be reinforced.
To prepare, first the dentist has to prepare the surface of the tooth - essentially using a dental drill to shape and smooth the surface into a neat plug that the crown can cover without any catching or stress. Fortunately, the area was numbed by a topical anesthetic, so I didn't really feel anything at the time; the burning smell was rather disconcerting, though.
Next, the dentist used a gun-shaped device to create a mosaic of the upper and lower jaw in the area of the tooth. This lets the dental lab build a 3D model of that jaw area, and produce a crown that will match the opposing tooth. I gather this part of the process is fairly new. The model gets sent off to produce the permanent crown, which in this case is being CNC milled out of a single piece of zirconium. (The stuff they make imitation diamonds out of.) While the permanent crown is being produced, the dentist puts a temporary crown on; this one you have to be careful of, to make sure it doesn't get pulled off. That's where I am now.
The worst part of the process actually hasn't been the drilling. In order to make the most accurate scan, the dentist put a drying compound along the gum do the saliva wasn't muddying up the tooth; unfortunately, the application scraped up my gum, and it's still somewhat sore and tender.
So. I strongly suggest that you all take better care of your teeth so you don't have to go through this. :) And if you do, it's best to get it done and over with quickly; the stronger the underlying tooth surface, the longer it's likely to last!
--------------
So, on to a happier topic, something I hope the pen enthusiasts can help with:
Anyone recognize this pen, or know where I can find more?
I first found these pens about 15 years ago, as Xmas holiday stock at Office Depot. I bought one, liked it a lot, went by to get another to find them gone; they were only carried during the holiday sales period. I kept an eye out at the Xmas sales period for the next couple of years, and managed to collect 5-6 of them. Attrition has taken its toll (the oddest loss was when one got munged in the conveyor belt of a metal detector, in one of the Federal government buildings in DC; the barrel was bent at about a 15 degree angle. I still have that one, even if it can't be used for writing). Now this is the last one I have left, and I'd like to find more but am not having any luck.
The presentation box it came in is black overall, with half the lid in a bluish-purple shade of plastic; the name on the case is 'Petrona'. I've searched on Google, Amazon, and eBay without finding this model. Anyone have suggestions where to look now? Office Depot hasn't carried them for a decade, and hasn't even carried this kind of 'gift pen' set for years. :(
no subject
Date: 2016-01-28 06:54 am (UTC)I don't recognize your pen, unfortunately, although if you're willing to post the photo to Fountain Pen Network on the It Writes, But It Is Not a Fountain Pen subforum, someone might know. Pen geeks get really geeky. *g*
(If you'd rather not create an account there, I'd be happy to post the photo and ask on your behalf, with your permission of course.)
Also--I've been listening to the music from that sampler and rediscovering some old favorites. (I bought some Rurouni Kenshin soundtracks back when, but they're hiding in a bin somewhere, and I don't actually have them ripped.) Thank you so much!
no subject
Date: 2016-01-28 11:03 pm (UTC)If you wouldn't mind posting it yourself, that'd be great! I get a little wary about dropping in to forums where I don't really know the culture, especially if it's just to ask one or two questions, so I get nervous about being rude and committing faux pas.
Glad you're enjoying the music! Would definitely be interested in any thoughts you had on the other songs; I put the mixtapes in, plus the soundtracks, but the rest were me scrolling through my library and stopping to add things that looked like you might find interesting.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-28 11:10 pm (UTC)I'm currently in nostalgialand over the Utena soundtracks but I definitely will report back on the new-to-me stuff in particular! (God, I adore "Toki ni Ai wa"/"At Times, Love").
no subject
Date: 2016-01-29 03:30 am (UTC)The Utena soundtracks are gorgeous, and I wish I had more of them. I had a bad experience when I bought the last one I obtained; it was at an anime con dealer's table, and I'd had good luck with that dealer before, but when I got the disc up to my room and tried to play it on my laptop, it wouldn't play. A closer look led me to believe it was a bootleg; the printing on the booklet wasn't the best and the disc resembled a CD-R. :( Took it back the next day and the dealer exchanged it; the new copy played, but I was (and am still) suspicious of the provenance.
What's your favorite version of Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku? :) I like the one with a vaguely industrial sound, the Adolescence Cover I used on the CFRC #5 gaming soundtrack.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-31 04:16 am (UTC)I'm not sure! I liked the piano pieces best...that being said, I was able to sing along with it at one point, when my college friends and I were all obsessed with Utena. *g* The English major in particular loved all the layers.