Just another day at the dentist, I guess?

I, for one, am not particularly nervous about going to the dentist. I don’t necessarily look forward to it but it’s just the thing you do twice a year.

I suppose because I have been lucky enough to not, at least yet, need any major dental intervention, I don’t have a real opinion about it one way or the other.

However, my experience most recently has gone a long way in potentially changing that. I rolled in to the office at 7 am sharp on a Thursday morning.

From the word, “Hello” things were off to a rocky start. Meaning, “Hello Angela, I am your NEW hygienist.” Really? Bummer.

I am not particularly attached to my previous hygienist but she was really good, super-efficient and she knew all my dental history so I didn’t have to start from the top. But OK, no worries. That turned out to not so much be the case.

First, she tells me I am due for X-Rays. Recently I have done a lot of reading and have decided a couple things about dental X-Rays. First, they do them way too often and second, they really need to start using the thyroid gland cover and not just the lead thing that goes across your chest. (PS for the record, I am not a doctor, I don’t play one on TV and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so don’t take medical advice from me.)

But suffice it to say that opting to pass on the X-Rays is kind of like announcing on the PA system at Disney that you think Cinderella is a %$$#$#! It’s not well-received.

Next thing you know, the dentist strolls in with his politician smile and begins his “sell” of himself and how awesome X-Rays are. I share my concerns and offer to sign a waiver that I am not getting X-Rays against medical advice blah, blah, blah.

I know, you feel like you need to take a nap already. I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet, but it was starting to be exhausting. Stay tuned, there is the possibility of injury and dismemberment. OK I may be exaggerating but still…

I get the usual rumblings about not yet having had my wisdom teeth extracted (umm they’re mine and I need wisdom, hello?) And the “what, what?” about my pink, yes pink, sealants that I got when I was 8 to ward off cavities.

And then Dr. Smiles informs me, a little too cheerily, that I have a cavity in one of my wisdom teeth. But he’s got time to do some drilling on said tooth today. Yippee!

Here’s where it starts to get interesting and little bit like Grey’s Anatomy. OK, not really, but it’s the only medical show I could think of. Still for me, in the chair, a wee bit of drama was about to unfold. The dentist, I am enjoying referring to him as Dr. Smiles so let’s continue that, asks my sweet hygienist if she can start my anesthetization for the carving out of the cavity. She says sure. She was so super light and airy about it that it didn’t occur to me that this was about to be a game of operation and there would be lots of buzzing.

She drops in the topical numbing agent on my gums. So far so good.

Then she hoists up the rather large metal syringe and I can’t help but notice that she’s shaking. But in this instance when I say shaking what I really mean is that she is trembling so badly that I am seriously considering reaching my hand up to steady hers while she injects, yes injects ME.

Now, to be fair, I can’t feel a thing but there is something unsettling about watching someone stick a needle into your mouth, while continuing to shake, rattling the syringe on your teeth and, yes there is more, BREAK OUT INTO HIVES!

This is about the time that I recall that it’s a full moon. The wolf moon to be exact. I am not exactly sure which one of us may start howling but I am thinking it’s more likely to be her.

Phew, so the injection is done, she withdraws the rattling syringe from my mouth and I ask her if she’s OK. She lets out a big sigh of relief and shares, like it’s a revelation, “I do get a little nervous when doing this.” Ya think?

But no relief yet, she then says that she needs to inject more. I reassure her that all is well and I think this go around with the needle might be better. Have you ever seen an animal shiver after it comes in from a cold rain storm? Yes, that’s the visual that I want you to have. Now give the shivering dog a syringe and open wide.

Again, she really does do everything fine —  to my knowledge. Keep in mind, I am numbing up pretty quick at this point so I wouldn’t know.

So I get my cavity all fixed up and off I go. Some would say that was adventure. In the world of Lowi & G, just another Thursday.

Sunshine & Sarcasm,

Lowi & G