Dental Work in Morocco

A major component of our Close of Service conference was a medical check-out. We have spent two years drinking weird water (I once found a fish living in my drinking-water tank), eating less-than-clean food and living in an unbelievably stressful environment, making our medical 'checking-out' important, really important.

My medical clearance went well, and aside from some possibly life-long parasite friends, I am in good shape. Actually, I am in better shape than when I left, at least physically. My mental state is an entirely different can of worms!

My dental clearance was not as rosy as my medical check-out was. I have always had a lot of dental problems. Most can be associated to my formerly high sugar diet, my past excessive diet-soda drinking and my current lack of flossing. Some are thanks to my damaged dental gene pool. Either way, my first year in Morocco I was cavity free. I was stoked.

This year when I went to the dentist, I expected the same stellar report-card; but alas, it did not come. I had two cavities, one small and one large. The lucky thing for me was that since my dental appointment wasn't until Friday, I got to spend the weekend in Rabat on Peace Corps' dime, and meet Hillary Clinton. Monday and Tuesday of last week I had my cavities filled and all was good.

By Friday morning, I couldn't think of doing anything but crying because of how much pain I was in. The sad and inevitable truth was that I needed a root canal.

I trudged, unwillingly, back to Rabat on Sunday to get my root canal Monday morning. While the entire experience wasn't too bad (thanks to the excessive novocaine), I would not desire to repeat it anytime soon. Having tiny needles drilled in and out of the root of my tooth was not that enjoyable and the sound of metal on my tooth drove me wacky.

The one saving grace to the entire experience was that I got to see my actual tooth nerve. I have never seen a tooth nerve, and before Monday I was only vaguely aware that my teeth even had nerves. After using this really long and scary screw-looking drill, the dentist pulled out this long stringy thing from my tooth. It was my nerve.

I could never cut it as a doctor or a nurse, even a dentist. I can't handle the "eww" factor of many medical things but I think I could cut it as a medical examiner. I think the human body is fascinating and the more cool parts I get to see in real-life the better.

The nerve is the long pinkish string-like thing on the lid of the cup.

That's the Dentist holding my nerve with his tools.

Some of you may be grossed out by the photo and for that I am sorry. I was fascinated. The dentist told me I am the first person ever to request a photo. Success.