Today is a very special day not only because the post is late but also because it is not a standard 9ES and is instead a 9 to Friends episode featuring the site’s web code guy, Phil. Indulge your ears!
In light of the fact that it was only going to be Scott and I for this week’s regularly scheduled 9ES, we called in one of our contributors: Sam! But don’t worry, we stick to the 9ES format. We talk movies, video games and add to The List. Because we love you.
Hey! It’s Marc! You might not really know Marc yet, but you will soon. Marc is kicking around the idea of starting up his own blog and podcast here on 9to5 (dot cc), so hopefully you’ll get to see a lot more of him in the coming weeks, months and years. Or something.
Other than the fact that Marc is hanging out with us, this is really a lot like an episode of 9ES, so if you’re not sure if you should listen, well, you totally should.
Like many of us in Montreal, I do not have a dental plan provided by my work and I am currently unable to afford the cost of dental insurance. Being a university town , there are many new Montreal graduates facing this situation and thousands of individuals who have been facing it for decades.
The newest survey I could find from Health Canada said that in between 2007-2009, 34% of Canada had no dental insurance. Check it out here
So here is the cheapest dental plan around that I know of
The Cheapest Way to get Rid of a Toothache
This is salt. There are other white substances that may help with toothaches, but this is the cheapest by far.
So I don’t know if this will work for everyone and obviously not for every dental problem but I have found gargling with saltwater to be incredibly helpful when I get a toothache. And not just for your average toothache either.
Here is my personal experience.
Bad toothache (1 and 2):
These happened to me about 4 years and 2 years ago. The kind of throbbing pain that pendulums between a sharp stab to a dull ache.
I remember because I was living in one of those classic Montreal apartments with the really uneven floors in NDG and the second one happened when I lived right near 4 different dentists.
For both of these it just took a day of gargling with saltwater (gargle for about 15 to 30 seconds somewhere between 4 to 6 times a day). Afterwards the pain was gone and I could go on with my life.
Real bad toothache (the 3rd):
This toothache was crazy bad and it happened a few weeks ago. It sort of shifted around the right side of my mouth, sometimes leaving the whole thing in “stop everything” pain and rarely letting up. I had horrible times sleeping, barely getting any some nights. Couldn’t even tell which tooth was the bad one.
From looking online it seemed as if the tooth had become infected and was sending signals to the other nerves to go freaking nuts. There was also a worry that the infection had led to the blood stream because horrible shifting pain can be an indication of real bad infection.
I thought for sure that I would have to go to an emergency dental service. However, after gargling with saltwater the pain started to lessen. Granted, it took a full five days (the first 3 of which almost killed me) for all the pain to really disappear but eventually it completely went away.
This is Not a Replacement for Your Dentist
your teeth… if you were a life sized plastic person with removable parts.
I’m not a dentist and I do recommend going to see them when you have a problem.
But, if you are like me, then sometimes you have to save up to be able to go see them and that takes time. And saltwater gave me the time I needed.
Just through some salt in a glass of water until it tastes like the sea, swish it around for a bit and spit it out. Maybe it won’t help your particular situation but I doubt it can hurt.
If anyone knows any other tricks for the world’s cheapest dental plan then please feel free to mention it in the comments!
Since Jono is in Rome, we decided to call in a friend. The name of that friend? Jimmy! Aka Jason! From Templars! One of these days there will be a new intro song and stuff since this is in theory a different show from 9ES, but for now, it’s all we got. Enjoy the shenanigans everyone!
