Suzi Wizowaty

A few days ago I had a post put into my jawbone as the latest step in getting a new tooth. It’s an unpleasant procedure, with drilling and crunching, though I couldn’t feel the pain consciously because of the novocaine. In the middle of it, I thought, "I’m not doing this again." But you need your teeth, and mine are lousy, so who knows. But then I learned I needed to take an antibiotic.

"Oh, dear," I said to the nurse. "I don’t really want to do that. Is it really necessary?"

She had already told me to rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash, which I’d agreed to. A few minutes later the surgeon came in as reinforcement.

"It’s important that you take an antibiotic because of the risk of infection."

"Yes, that much I get. But it’s a concern to me. It’ll give me a yeast infection. I want to know what the risks are if I don’t take it."

"The risk is you’ll get an infection and the procedure won't take."

"Right, but can you tell me what is the risk without taking the antibiotic? Ten percent? Two percent?"

"Very small, let’s say two percent. But it’s not an antiseptic site. You've got all kinds of bacteria growing in there. You’ve just spent a hunk of money on this and you risk having the post not—"

At this point my eyes welled up and I couldn’t hear anymore. The surgeon cared most that his surgery succeed. I understand that. That’s what I’m paying him for. But I’m left with my vastly inferior knowledge to judge whether a two percent risk of infection outweigs a 99% certainty of a subsequent yeast infection, which I’ll treat with the over-the counter medicine, which based on my previous history probably won’t work, which will get me to my doctor, who will prescribe Diflucan. I've taken Diflucan before. Diflucan is made by Pfizer. In my recent reading about the pharmaceutical industry, I've learned that Pfizer's studies of Diflucan were so seriously flawed as to be completely unreliable. "Vexing" and "bewildering" said some scientists. Lacking in integrity, with "fixed" results. God only knows what invisible damage I’ve done or will do to my body.

But what do I know? I'm just a dumb patient, an ordinary American health care consumer feeling helpless, near to weeping with frustration.

I’m taking the antibiotic.