Category: Blog

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Picture of laptop displaying image of teeth on bottom jaw.
Scanning software creates image of teeth without the need for mold impressions.

 

Technology has grown in leaps and bounds!  Before my root canal crisis early last October, I had not seen the inside of a dentist’s office since February of 2007.  Traumatic childhood experiences made it difficult to seek out a new dentist after leaving Augusta.   Pain, and thankfully good insurance,  brought me in to meet the new technologies offered by today’s dentistry.  Dr. Bunn and staff of Skyview Dentistry have made it easy to call it my new dental home.    On October 20th Dr. Bunn removed aged silver metal fillings from the two back molars of my upper left jaw, refilling them with a new bonding material that looks and feels more like the natural teeth.  I had been unaware that these old fillings shrank over time causing additional decay and damage inside the tooth.  Unbeknownst to me, one of these teeth was also headed down the road to root canal city; but never made it.  Dr. Bunn created surfaces on these two teeth that look and feel like the originals.  The experience of REALLY chewing again has been awesome.

Have I confuse you about the root canal crisis?  The root canal was perpetrated on tooth number 31 which is the bottom right molar next to the missing wisdom tooth.  The crown process had been delayed pending the higher dental insurance option effective date.  The technology shown in the picture above is the inspiration for this post.  I must also share that dental x-rays are taken and immediately appear on the computer in the patient’s record.  The picture below shows a portion of my lower right jaw showing teeth 31 and 30 respectively at the top.  The teeth are scanned with an instrument connected to the laptop which produces an image of the teeth.  Tooth 31 has been reconstructed and awaits its crown.  This scan will be transmitted to a lab where a crown will be made to precisely fit into the base shown.  It has a temporary cover until the crown arrives in a couple of weeks.  Tooth 30 had an aged filling removed and replaced with the new bonding material sporting this awesome chewing surface.  I regret not taking a ‘before’ picture of these teeth to give a good comparison.

A close-up of the scan shows the top tooth awaiting a crown; and the next tooth completed.
Close-up view of scan.

 

I have a few more teeth needing replacement fillings and reconstruction; but am looking forward to a more satisfying chewing experience.  I will be much happier when I only need to go for dental cleanings and check-ups twice a year.

Until next time…

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Gramps stands to the right of the open mailbox which contains a tiny dog, wearing a little sweater, Nerd. (1977)
Gramps with Nerd in the mailbox.

 

Our family of seven, Papa, Mama, and us five children, were blessed to live in the same house with Gramps and Grandmother (maternal) for the first nine years of my life.  Gramps spoiled us rotten as is one of the rights of grandparents.  There is no doubt in my mind, heart, or soul that his love for me gave me the needed spark to live that spurred me on through a difficult childhood.  His character and personality taught me more about life than any written or spoken words ever could.  Gramps’ outlook on life was always positive; and he focused on seeking the good in others.  I learned to laugh and develop a healthy sense of humor that is an integral part of my being.  He made life fun.  As soon as I learned to count, he taught me how to play poker; count money; dicker for the lowest price; and count seconds between a lightning strike and the responding thunder clap.  His attitude toward others was open and never confrontational.  I learned never to go to bed angry.  He taught me more by the way he lived his life and treated others than he ever knew.  His laid back demeanor taught me not to sweat the small things in life.  I learned the rules of baseball listening to games on hot Summer afternoons; and have been a Braves fan since their move to Atlanta in 1966.   Liberace was a household word as well as a New Year’s Eve tradition.  Gramps planted many seeds of a life well lived; and I hope that these have grown in me and shine brightly today.

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Wil and Denise share a Birthday toast at Queen City Q.
Wil and Denise share a Birthday toast at Queen City Q.
Wil and Denise enjoy a Birthday toast.

 

My love for writing was born in a sixth grade Catholic school classroom that would certainly lead me down the path of that predestined successful writer that was to be my life’s dream come true.  I wrote for my high school and college newspapers thus sealing my fate as a famous writer once graduated sporting a Journalism degree.  Reality had other plans.  I was the first of five siblings to obtain a college degree, a BS in Psychology in the Spring of 1983.  The Journalism major went by the wayside when I could only hunt and peck on the typewriter failing the eighty words per minute requirement.  My English major quickly changed to Psychology when visions of a starving undervalued author ran through my brain.  I could surely earn a living as a Psychotherapist while writing on the side.

Dreams of graduate school faded to the reality of needing food, shelter, and money.  My love and compassion for others led me to choose St. Rose of Lima (patron saint of Social Workers) as my role model for life, actually sealing my fate.  I wrote for  twenty-one  years in my career with the Department of Family and Children Services in Richmond County Georgia as a case manager in the economic  programs (AFDC/TANF,Food Stamps, and Medicaid) and services programs (Adult and Child Protection, Relative Care Custody, and Adoption Assistance). In addition, I volunteered with Hospice, Rape Crisis, Domestic Violence Crisis, and General and Suicide Crisis Intervention.

Ten years into my case management career, I lost most of my functional eye sight to an uncommon inherited type of Proliferative Vitreo-retinopathy.   During my two year hiatus from the job, life took a turn for the better.  I went to the SC Commission for The Blind to learn to adjust to my vision loss and creatively learn daily living techniques (cooking, cleaning, and laundry) differently.  Writing on paper required a guide placed over the page to enable staying in the lines.  I was introduced to making things in a Wood Shop class as well as bowling with a guide rail.  Mobility with a white cane became a safe travel method and Windows 3.1 made the scene opening a new world of technology for me.  I received my first dog guide from Leader Dogs for the Blind and returned to finish my career with a new zest for life.

I met my husband (who is also visually impaired) in May of 1997 upon joining a blind bowlers league in Augusta, GA which is part of a national Blind bowling league.  We first dated July 4th of that year; moved in as roommates in August 1998; started sharing the same bedroom in November of same year; and then I became Mrs. William (Wil) James on November 14, 2003.  The rest is written in history.

I began testing web sites for accessibility to those with disabilities in 2005 along with  Wil and other persons with varying disabilities.  Using assistive technology such as screen reader and magnifying programs, we are able to identify and report potential obstacles to fully use and interact with web sites.  I am still assessing and writing this type of report  as needed.

The best chapter in the Life of James’ began in October of 2014 when we moved to Charlotte, NC for Wil to begin his job as the Assistive technology Consultant for the NC Division of Services for the Blind.  He assesses the needs of assistive technology for those receiving services through his agency; and then sets it up for them at their homes or jobs. Since March 2015 I have been given the opportunity as a Mini Center Instructor teaching recently visually impaired persons to learn to do their daily living techniques differently through the same agency.

I have been blogging since 2005.  Now that Wil is working his 20 years in NC to match mine in GA, I will have plenty of time to be creative and write whenever the spirit moves me.  My life’s journey has written its own story with plenty of plot twists and unexpected turns.  I am that famous writer after all!  I am the keeper of the journey.

Until next time…