March 17, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Dentist Visits.

I hate going to the Dentist. My own Dentist is even nice, in fact, he bought a house just along the shore from us in Nova Scotia. We had a conversation about travel destinations and I told him about our home in Nova Scotia, so I told him about the house just down from us, and he bought it. Fortunately, he and Susie like the place. He is a golfer and several courses are within a thirty minute drive from his home, so he is happy there. But I still do not like to go to see him at his office. Now I have tried to figure out why I hate going to the Dentist. After all, the drills don't sound noisy and it no longer hurts. The suctions work well so you no longer choke, and the needles are very small when numbing your gums. But it is just something about a visit to the dentist that I do not enjoy. My habit is to be very diligent for a few years by having my teeth cleaned every six months, and fixing anything that needs attention. Then I go off the wagon, so to speak, and I do not darken the door of my Dentist for two years. Right now I am catching up with my two year absence. Today I re-filled two teeth, which took two hours. Tomorrow I will have my teeth cleaned.

I have figured out why I hate going to the Dentist. At the Dentist, my mouth is open and I can not talk. This fact alone, in my Family, raises great anxiety. I make my living by talking, and all of a sudden, I can not talk. No wonder I hate it. But I must confess something. Today, while my Dentist and his assistant were working in my mouth, I fell fast asleep. Not for a few moments either, but for many minutes. In fact, the two hour time slot just raced by and I was surprised when the job was completed. My Dentist has never seen a patient sleep for so long, all the while with his hands working in my mouth. He thinks my teeth are not modern, so I am going to have an assessment of my teeth. We will see. I still do not enjoy going to the Dentist.