Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Dentist Appt.

When we got ready to move, I thought of all the "new" people we would have to meet. These new people are all in the medical profession. A new eye doctor, new gynecologist, new family doctor, new hair dresser, new vet, new dentist.

I don't enjoy the dentist. I don't know many people who do.

When I was a child, our family dentist was a very nice man. I would show up at his office, the lovely, smiling hygienist would get me set up in the chair w/ a smock and make idle chit chat. She would tell me the dentist would be w/ me shortly and I proceeded to wait 30 minutes for the dentist.

In college, I went to this dentist maybe twice. It was hard to schedule appts. on visits home and I never pursued a dentist at college.

After I got married, it was 3 years before I decided it might be a good idea to find a new dentist. This new dentist was highly recommended by coworkers, always a plus.

Imagine my surprise when I sat in the chair and the hygienist placed the smock on my chest, then started working on my teeth! I had been under the impression for the past 5 years that hygienists were only there for moral support to both the patient and doctor.

At my childhood dentist, the dentist would clean my teeth w/ that gritty crap that took forever to get off my teeth no matter how many times I rinsed. That was the main reason why I hated the dentist. I didn't want my teeth cleaned. That gritty feeling stayed w/ me until I got home and brushed.

At the new dentist, the hygienist would clean (the stuff didn't feel so gritty) and then would point the  sprayer at my teeth and rinse them off w/ their super pressurized sprayer! My teeth felt sparkly clean  and oh so shiny.

After moving to the Wichita area, I didn't hesitate to find a new dentist. There's only one in our town so the decision was easy. I made an appt. for Hubby, my son, and myself. Hubby's appt went great, as usual, he only has to be seen yearly. I have to be seen every 6 months. My brushing habits aren't stellar.

At my first appt, a half cavity I'd had filled right after the birth of my son had come out and another half cavity had formed on an upper tooth. I had to make a follow up appt to get them filled.

That day was last Friday. I wasn't nervous upon arrival, everything had gone great at the first one, what was there to worry about?

I sat in the chair, the head was lowered, making me feel a little like I was in my OBGYN's office. The light flipped on and the hygienist asked if I wanted nitrous. Wait, what? I thought this was just a cavity filling? She said some people get nervous. I said I was fine.

The doctor came in then and injected me w/ 2 lovely shots. Both cavities were on my left side, both top and bottom. Anyone know what that means? That's right, the left side of my face was drooping. I looked like I'd had a stroke. Hubby had a good laugh at my expense.

Back to me in the chair, I had spacers inserted. You know, to hold my mouth open? (I think that's what they're called.) While I'm sitting there w/ my mouth propped open, wearing plastic glasses, all I'm thinking is, "They're totally going to talk about me after I leave."


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