I went, I bled, I rinsed

Phew! Thank goodness the dental hygienist is over -- for another 3 years (okay, 6 months). I think the panicked flossing and toothpick use of the past few weeks did what it was supposed to; the pain was not nearly as bad as I remembered. Either that, or 400 mg of ibuprofen before I went in numbed me to the worst of it. My jaw definitely aches, but I can feel individual teeth at the bottom -- nice. I celebrated with a handful of mini Dime Bars (soft on the outside, crunchy on the inside!). I can feel the tartar and plaque building up again as I type. Mmm, mini Dime Bars.