During a routine visit to the dentist for a teeth cleaning, the hygienist asked me if anything bothered me. I assured her that there was nothing. As she began to examine my teeth and mouth, she expressed some dismay at something she saw.
After describing it, she said she was surprised that it hadn’t bothered me. She went on to explain that I had a serious gum abscess and I would need to see the dentist as soon as possible. She brought me a mirror to allow me to observe what she was seeing, and I recalled feeling something there with my tongue on previous occasions.
After probing and piercing the suspicious spot, the hygienist explained that there were several possibilities for treatment, but that she believed the “best case scenario” would be oral surgery or antibiotics, or both. She wanted me to come back to see the dentist either that afternoon or the next day. However, I was clear in my own mind that I did not want to participate in any of the treatments she was suggesting.
