he said the one at the back i was worried about is arrested and he would advise against drilling into it. which is what i thought, too.
obviously, it's nice when somebody tells you what you want to hear, but it doesn't mean it's true. i missed the cleaning because i was late, so i'll have to go back for it tomorrow morning.
so, this is what each of the four dentists i've seen have said:
1) dentist #1 claimed i have "generalized gingivitis" and that there were cavities in my xrays. so, i took a crash course into how to read xrays and decided i couldn't find any. but, then i looked into his background and it turned out he wasn't actually a dentist; he had a "dental certificate" from a clinic at a church in detroit. i decided to pass and look for another dentist.
2) dentist #2 had strangely impressive qualifications for a dentist in a strip mall, and in hindsight maybe i ought to have been skeptical. she told me i was right that i didn't have any cavities in the xrays, but that she'd fill that one tooth in the back because it was missing material. but, when i asked a series of questions, she started telling me things i knew were wrong. i got iffy and pulled out.
and, then i waited for too long.
3) dentist #3 told me there were no cavities in my x-rays, but when i told him i think i need some fillings, his demeanour changed and he flip-flopped. all of a sudden, i needed complete reconstruction of both jaws, one at a time - fillings on every tooth. when i asked him to do a cleaning first, he refused. so, i went elsewhere.
4) dentist #4 told me i have no cavities at all, but that my teeth are filthy and need a cleaning. he suggested some cosmetic work, after a cleaning, but insisted there was no medical reason to do any work at all. bingo. i hope.
so, let's hope i found what i want.
at the least, i should finally get them cleaned tomorrow...