mental hygiene

i had an early dentist appointment this morning. the second try at placing a crown. this has been going on for about 3 months now, and i've finally reached my limit. my dentist is a nice woman, but i'm starting to doubt her skill in this area. the last crown she placed left a huge gap between my back teeth that forced me to floss about 17 times a day.

the temporary crowns she placed were just fine (although copper colored, they fit perfectly and gave me no trouble at all). she removed the small crown and now has replaced it with one so large that it's cockeyed in my mouth. she also had to grind it down so far that the white porcelain is removed and it looks as if there is a filling in place.

i am weary. she is a nice christian woman. but really stinks at this - and i am now in a conumdrum. all 5 of us (my father included) see her for our dental hygiene. this second try was gratis as she goofed the first one - but i don't know that she is any more capable at a third try. i just don't know how to approach this. i want to be angry, stomp and insist. i can do all of those things, and if i wasn't representing our church i probably might give that a try. my options seem really time consuming and frustrating now. and i so just want to have my teeth not to be a source of thought and consideration. i want them to do their job, not bother me and i'll take care of them properly - we had a good thing going. now it's just gotten so irritating.

last year in november my hair stylist, er, i should say 'former' hair stylist, was chatting with her mother while cutting my hair that she actually chopped a chunk off the side of her finger. i was so concerned and feeling bad for her i never noticed that at the same time she cut the top part of my hair to about 1" - and then proceeded not to tell me, but to chop the rest of my hair short to cover her mistake. she spun me around and i saw my mother in my reflection. i was in shock. never once did she explain or apologize - just pretended it was her intention the whole time. it has taken me 11 months to get my hair back to the place where it was this time last year - but in the process i have found the most wonderful, uplifting, honoring hair stylist i've ever had. jeni has taught me things no other stylist has ever taken the time to teach.

i never realized before jeni how wonderful going to the salon could be. it doesn't hurt to get my hair dryed (yes, for my whole life i have gone to stylists who pull my hair while drying it) and she hears me. being heard is one of the cries of my heart. btw - i got my hair done today too, and it way made up for the frustration of the nasty dental work...

so, back to teeth. is this an opportunity to find a better, more skilled dentist? or should i stick it out and go for time #3?? i really have no idea if the insurance company would pay for another crown, or if i have to complain, file forms, drag this out - see, tons of work and irritation... i just needed to blog it out so that i could make room for some real thinking on this. any advice or direction would be appreciated! :)