I’m running my tongue over my teeth this afternoon. Darn, they feel good. This is because I made a trip to the dentist office this afternoon. I got my teeth cleaned.
In addition, I got a clean bill of teeth and gums.
Most of you may not think much of that. I, however, and many others like me, do consider a day like this to be like that of a holiday. Clean Teeth Day…I say we all take the day off tomorrow.
I can’t help it. And the next sentence is no reflection on my dentist whatsoever. The truth is, I hate pain.
The fine personage that cleaned my teeth today asked, at one point if “that (what she was doing) hurt?” I told her I didn’t feel any pain. She said she didn’t ask about pain. I told her it was just semantics. My connotation of a visit to the dentist office equates with pain. I saw a chance to bring it up and I did. She chuckled a bit at my semantics comment. I appreciated that.
So, why all this gloom and doom surrounding the dentist office? Well in layman’s terms…I’ve been a ba-ah-ah-ad boy.
I was married in 1996. I had not been to the dentist for many years prior to that. To her credit, my dear wife Carrie did not ask how long it had been since I had been to the dentist while we were courting. She did not even ask after we had been married…at least for a few years.
One day Carrie asked how long it had been since I had been to the dentist. She was curious. And more than that, I know, given her nature, she was concerned about my self-preservation. I told her it had been a long time. “How long?” she asked. I asked how many calendars she had saved back.
So off I went…full of memories.
I swear, and again, no fault to my dentist at the time whom I have the utmost respect for, I couldn’t help but to think about the time I had my wisdom teeth removed.
I have heard people talk about having their wisdom teeth cut out and I wondered if it was anything like I went through when I had gall bladder (or as my old buddy Foster would say, ball gladder) surgery. Wisdom teeth cut out? What is that all about?
When my wisdom teeth were removed my dentist was standing on the chair over the top of me pulling and jerking and tugging with all he had. He must have given me enough anesthetic to down an elephant because I just sat there and was amused by the whole situation, that is until the numbness wore off and I felt as though I had just went ten rounds with Sonny Liston.
I’m allergic to pain. What else can I say?
I finally made it back to the dentist. At the office I ran into a young lady who also graduated from the
My return to dentistdom turned out fine. I found out I didn’t have many problems, I just needed a few fillings and I received an obligatory lecture about the necessity of getting an oral check-up on a regular basis.
I have since tried to do better. In fact I have done much better. I only cancelled this last appointment two times before I finally made it.
Carrie came back one day with a list of days I could get in relatively soon at the time. I acquiesced. I do truly love her.
My appointment was a success. After my appointment today I was given a card that said I had six months to agonize over this once again. I can’t wait.
Danny Johnson