No Wonder We All Hate Going to the Dentist

A dentist's office is, at best, an intimidating place.  At worst, it it is downright scary.  As I walked into the room for my follow-up appointment yesterday, i saw "the room" through Mitchell's eyes.  I knew that the machines in there were not just for cleaning this time, but for jabbing needles into my gums and drilling holes into my teeth.  No matter now calm and professional and charming your dentist is (and mine is all the above), it is difficult to relax and trust your well-being to a man who is about to use a drill in your mouth.  

As I lay there waiting for the numbness to take, listening to Enya sing lullaby-like songs about sailing away and other half-understandable lyrics, and staring at the hideous ceiling (don't they know their patients only have one place to look?  Make it a nice ceiling!!), I found myself unable to relax.  By the time he was actually drilling my teeth, my body was already a bit fatigued from the constant flexing all over.  As I lay with my mouth gaping, my jaw tiring, holding my breath so I didn't have to smell the smell of tooth powder drifting around, feeling that terrible pressure of a drill inside my tooth, I had to constantly remind myself that it didn't hurt and I needed to relax a bit.  My butt was so clenched that when I consciously relaxed it, I sank into the chair a couple inches!  

I do have to give my new dentist credit for one thing though.  He doesn't try to carry on a conversation with me while my mouth is stuck in a gaping position with all manner of equipment jabbing and scraping and sucking.  I remember my family's dentist as i was growing up as quite the talkative wannabe comedian.  He not only had an assistant with him at all times that he carried on constant conversation 3 inches from my face, but he would actually tell me lame jokes and ask me questions while drilling my teeth - as if I had any ability to answer him in any other form than a nod or grunt!  I ran across this little graph that illustrates my old dentist perfectly.  I may not enjoy visiting my new dentist, but at least he knows well enough to keep his thoughts to himself and not make an uncomfortable situation more uncomfortable by requiring verbal participation from his patients.