I hate going to the dentist...REALLY hate it. How ironic is it that my youngest son is in dental school? This makes matters even worse, because he will now be trying to convince me that going to the dentist isn't all that bad. Good luck on that, for I know better.
Perhaps if I didn't have to have something MAJOR done every time I walked into the dentist's office, it wouldn't be so bad. What do I mean by MAJOR? OK, today, I went in just kind of spur of the moment because I had cracked a little piece off of a tooth (not the first time that has happened either...). There was no pain or anything, I just wanted to get it fixed before I left for a couple of trips. I walked out with a root canal and an appointment to return for a crown! MAJOR enough for you? I think even if I weren't having this type of work done, there would still be several reasons why the dentist's office is not appealing to me. First...getting shots in your mouth. Second...the sound of the drill. Third...tyring to swallow when they have goo in your mouth to make an impression. Oh, and did I mention...GETTING SHOTS IN YOUR MOUTH?!
OK, so I went in today to have that little chipped tooth repaired and as soon as they called me to the back, my heart began racing...GREAT; they hadn't even done anything yet and I was having issues. Then two young girls came in. YOUNG girls...CHILDREN. Was this take your child to work day or something? Then, one child said to the other, "You can take this x-ray." Hmmm...maybe they were letting them help out. She took the x-ray with a little assistance from the other child and then a third little girl came in. OH MY GOSH...what was this? Where were the professionals? I was beginning to get a little worried. The third child told me that she was going to numb me up...WAIT...WHAT?? You're just a child...they let children give shots here at this office now? Crap...I'm in deep trouble. Before she "numbed me up", I reminded her to look at my chart, since I have to take a different medication; one that doesnt' cause my heart to race as much. However, my heart was already racing at the thought of this little girl about to stick a SHOT in my mouth. I made it through the shot, but they did have to blow me down with their air blower since I was getting hotter by the second. I settled down and waited for the dentist to come in...surely HE was still the one who actually worked on teeth here.
Upon viewing my x-ray, the dentist asked if I had been having any pain or sensitivity in that particular tooth. No, I just chipped it and needed it repaired. So, the work began. They put that paper bib on me and then he proceeded to give me several more shots! With mouth wide, heart racing again and all these children standing around gawking at my open mouth, he began to converse with me. I went along with it, although I knew this was just a tactic used by medical professionals in an attempt to get your mind off of what they were doing. Every now and then he asked..."Are you doing OK?" Yea...right! Doing just peachy with drills buzzing inside my head. Then I heard him say..."I need a pin"; at this point, I couldn't even feel the entire left side of my face. Then, the lighter came out...this thing scares me a lot. They use it when they get ready to cauterize your gums and if you are not very still, a spark may come off and pop you on the tongue...not to mention having to smell your burning flesh. I closed my eyes tightly, held my breath and sat very still until that part was over. Then the dentist brought out some sort of blue light...I'm afraid it could blind me (you know, like the lights inside of a tanning bed)...so I closed my eyes again, just peeking every now and then to see when the light is put away. Finally, all of the equipment is put away, my chair is returned to a sitting position and the dentist looked me in the eye quite seriously..."I'm prescribing an antibiotic...and I want you to take it until it is all gone." "Really?...OK, then." One of the children takes another x-ray of the work that was done and then escorted me to the front desk.
As I stood at the front desk, the child was talking to the receptionist regarding the work I had done...and scheduling ANOTHER appointment. This is where I interjected..."Excuse me, but do I have to come back?" "Why yes, they explain...he did a root canal on you today." "WHAT?!...Well, crap. I guess that means I have to have a crown on that tooth now too, doesn't it?" "Yes mam, it does." After receiving my invoice for about $900, I solemnly walked to my vehicle. My jaw and ear were already beginning to hurt. How odd that there was no pain before, but after an hour of drilling and $900 later, I'm wasn't feeling very well. I suppose the worst part was over and I will just return later for my impressions and crown. Then I remember something else...we were supposed to go to the Fair tonight; I guess this meant that there would be no caramel apple for me this year.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments