С тех пор как я записалась к стоматологу, я постоянно думаю о своей старой пломбе.

Ever since I made an appointment with the dentist, I keep thinking about my old filling.

Breakdown of С тех пор как я записалась к стоматологу, я постоянно думаю о своей старой пломбе.

• я: I
• старый: old
• о: about
• свой: my
• думать: to think
• записаться к: to make an appointment with
• с тех пор как: ever since
• стоматолог: the dentist
• постоянно: constantly
• пломба: the filling

Questions & Answers about С тех пор как я записалась к стоматологу, я постоянно думаю о своей старой пломбе.

Why is it с тех пор как and not just с тех пор?

С тех пор means since that time / from then on on its own, but when you introduce a full clause (something with a verb), you typically use с тех пор, как + clause:

• С тех пор, как я записалась… = Since (the time when) I made an appointment…
  In writing, it’s very common to separate the main part and как with a comma: С тех пор, как…

Why are there commas, and are they required?

Yes, the commas are standard here because с тех пор, как… introduces a subordinate clause. The structure is:

• Subordinate clause: С тех пор, как я записалась к стоматологу,
• Main clause: я постоянно думаю…
  Russian generally uses commas to mark subordinate clauses much more consistently than English does.

Why does пор look plural, and what case is тех пор?

In modern Russian, пора (meaning time/season) has a set expression с тех пор where пор is the genitive plural:

• с
  • genitive → с тех пор = since then / from that time onward
    You don’t normally change this expression; it’s idiomatic.

What does записалась mean grammatically, and why is it feminine?

Записалась is past tense, feminine singular, because the speaker is assumed to be a woman. Past tense in Russian agrees with the subject’s gender/number:

• (male) я записался
• (female) я записалась
  The -сь / -ся shows it’s reflexive: записаться = to sign up / to book oneself (for an appointment).

Why is it записалась к стоматологу—what case is стоматологу?

К usually governs the dative and means to / toward / to see (a professional):

• к стоматологу (dative) = to the dentist / to see the dentist
  So стоматологу is dative singular of стоматолог.

Could it be записалась у стоматолога instead?

Yes, but it changes the nuance:

• записаться к стоматологу = make an appointment to see the dentist (focus on the person you’ll see)
• записаться у стоматолога = make an appointment at the dentist’s place/office or through the dentist (focus on the location/agent)
  In everyday speech, к стоматологу is very common for “book an appointment with a dentist.”

Why is думаю о followed by своей старой пломбе—what case is that?

Because the verb думать typically uses о + prepositional case to mean to think about:

• думать о ком? о чём?
  So:
• о своей старой пломбе → пломбе is prepositional singular.

Why is it своей and not моей?

Свой is a reflexive possessive meaning one’s own, and it usually refers back to the subject of the clause:

• я думаю о своей… = I think about my (own)…
  You can say о моей, but о своей is the most natural and is preferred when the possessor is the subject (я).

What’s the difference between постоянно and something like всё время here?

Both can translate as “all the time,” but they feel a bit different:

• постоянно = constantly, repeatedly (emphasizes ongoing recurrence)
• всё время = the whole time / all the time (often feels more continuous or situational)
  In this sentence, постоянно думаю suggests the thought keeps returning.

Why does the sentence repeat я twice? Can one be omitted?

Russian often repeats the subject for clarity when a subordinate clause ends and a new main clause begins. Here, repeating я makes the structure very clear.
It’s sometimes possible to omit the second я, especially in casual speech, but with this structure it’s usually kept:

• More standard: …, я постоянно думаю…
• More compressed (possible, but less clear): …, постоянно думаю…

Is the word order flexible? Could постоянно move?

Yes, word order is fairly flexible and changes emphasis:

• я постоянно думаю о… (neutral/common)
• я думаю о… постоянно (emphasizes “constantly” as an afterthought)
• постоянно я думаю о… (marked; strong emphasis, often contrastive)

What does старая пломба imply—does it just mean “old” literally?

Usually it means the filling has been there a long time and may be worn, outdated, or potentially problematic. Старая can be purely descriptive (not new) but often carries the practical implication “an older filling (possibly needing replacement).”