Dental Work

"You're never fully dressed without a smile."
Martin Charnin

Want to hear something kind of gross? I went to the dentist this evening for the first time in about five years.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one in this boat, so I don't feel too bad admitting that. I didn't have dental insurance through most of college and beyond. I have had a wisdom tooth creeping its way through my gums over the past year or two, though, so a couple of months before we said "I do," Kyle went ahead and booked an appointment for me to see his dentist, giving us plenty of time to get me on his insurance plan.

Like most other kids, I filled with dread every six months when I got that postcard in the mail picturing a yellow face clutching a toothbrush and wearing a toothy grin. Those always kind of pissed me off. No one is that happy after a trip to the dentist, not even with free dental floss.

I never thought I'd say this, but my dentist experience this time around was downright pleasant. I was brought back to a room in the back, I sat in the chair, and the chair began massaging my back. Once I got comfortable, (which didn't take long), my hygienist handed me a a remote control and let me pick out what to watch on the flat screen TV hovering over my massage chair. The only thing on the ceiling at my old dentist's office was Anne Geddes.

So I turned on That 70's Show and made small talk with the nice hygienist, who was smart enough to only ask questions when the metal tools were out of my mouth. She was very gentle, and it didn't hurt at all, not even when she was poking around my gums.

The best part is that after five years or so of not going to the dentist, I walked out of there with ZERO cavities. How rockin' am I?

The worst part, however, is that they highly recommended that I get my wisdom teeth taken out, as the bottom ones are literally pushing against my other teeth and could lead to some serious cavities or even removal of the teeth that were there first, dammit.

They referred me to an oral surgeon and recommended that I go before the end of the year, so I guess I'll be scheduling a consultation soon. I'm not looking forward to this... I have a feeling it will turn me into a whiney pants for at least an entire weekend. At least I have a blog to vent on, right?