I went to the dentist today. I was reluctant about this like so many other things. Just a teeth cleaning, but in terms of anticipation it might as well have been a full frontal lobotomy.
This isn’t the fault of my dentist or his staff, who are kind and patient and very careful of my mouth. This is a carryover from childhood when the dentist I was seeing hurt me regularly and a lot and once had his nurse hold me down while he leaned over me with his knee on my chest and forced my mouth open. I don’t think that is recommended procedure any more, but I can’t quite leave that memory behind. It was worse than when I got run over by a car. Worse than when I fell through a rusted screen door and it took my mother three hours to pull all the little pieces of metal out of me.
But those are stories for another time.
Although, it occurs to me, that in those cases when the worst was past someone gave me candy to help ease the memory’s pain. I don’t think a dentist has ever tried giving me candy.
8 responses to “BrooksBlog: Off To the Dentist”
I’m not much younger that you and i remember the “good ol days” of dentistry also. it still gives me nightmares hope you feel better
Be glad you have never needed a root canal. To use a Shannara analogy, the trials of Grianne Ohmsford in the Forbidding would pale by comparison.
Man, root canals are horrible. I should know….
That screen door sounded pretty painful…
*shivers* I have similar experiences with the childhood dentist. It is my firm belief that more than half of the world’s dentists are secretly sadists.
My present dentist and I have made a deal. The dentist office calls me and gives me an appointment two or three days after the call.
This way I don’t have to agonize about it for too long and I can even ‘forget’ about it (I haven’t actually managed this feat yet, but that’s not for lack of trying) as they’ll call me early in the morning the day of appointment to remind me not to forget about it
You got run over by a car???? O.k., you can’t just let that little bit of information out and not follow up on it. Details, please. 😉
Dentistry is something that I don’t like either. I’ve had a bad experience in it a long time ago and just hate it overall. No matter what kind of work they do, I just get so panicky and anxious as all heck. Very scary for me, needless to say.
lol Well, think this is the first time I’m almost… somewhat looking forward to seeing the dentist. But I’ve had an impacted tooth for about 3 weeks now, and impacted nerve from it for over a week. I’m at a friend’s place right now, and dinner’s ready- roast and cheesy potatoes. And I’m wondering if I can open my mouth far enough to try eating mashed potatoes. 🙁
But yeah, I think almost everyone has a fear of going to the dentist.