The Dentist

I don't remember ever liking the dentist growing up. I probably didn't hate it as a child, if only because trips to the dentist generally resulted in a new toothbrush and a toy from the prize wall and zero cavities. Somewhere along the way, maybe about the time I switched from the children's dentist to the adult dentist, I began to loathe the trips. I hated having the hygienist poke at my gums for half an hour and try to sell me on teeth whitening processes and lecturing me on my swollen gums (which nothing I could do seemed to remedy). I hated sitting with my mouth open while the dentist poked around some more and answering questions with a muffled grunt because I couldn't do anything else. I hated that little thing you have to bite down on when they give you x-rays because I have a small mouth and it made me gag and they could never take the x-rays fast enough.

And when I went off my parents insurance, I stopped going to the dentist.

I didn't stop going to the dentist because I didn't like the dentist. It's just that I didn't have a dentist to schedule appointments six months in advance, and I didn't have dental insurance, and I didn't know what you did about the dentist if you didn't have dental insurance. And so I kind of let myself forget that I needed to deal with it.

Last summer my roommate had to get some major dental work done before she left for a mission, and I began to get scared. She hadn't been to the dentist in years and all the dental work she had to get done meant she couldn't get her papers in until months after she had intended. I tried to remember the last time I had been to the dentist, realized that it had been at least three years, possibly more, and worried myself sick about it until school started again and I got so busy that I never made time for even worrying about my dental needs, much less scheduling an appointment.

But a couple weeks ago one of me teeth suddenly because much more sensitive than normal. I felt pain every time I ate fruit, or anything just a little colder than room temperature, and I resolved that I would finally make that appointment that should have been made, um, four years ago (mom, dad, please don't lecture me - I take full responsibility for this!). I talked to people, checked out BYU's discount policy, went through the 100 Hour Board archives to find the dentist recommendations I remembered seeing this last year, and finally made the call and made the appointment.

The surprise is this: I actually felt excited about my upcoming dental appointment. It couldn't come soon enough. This morning when I woke up and remembered that I was scheduled for 8:00 I felt almost giddy. And I thoroughly enjoyed my appointment. I loved having my teeth scraped and polished and flossed, and even having my gums prodded wasn't so bad. The dentist showed me my x-rays and showed me what tooth decay looks like (I've never had a dentist do that before - it was really interesting). The hygienist removed a piece of cement from my teeth that had been hanging on for the ten years that I've had my braces off (given how easy it was for her to remove it, I was a little shocked that no dentist or hygienist had ever noticed it before). I was praised for the cleanliness of my teeth, and felt quite pleased that when questioned I was able to say that I brush 3-4 times a day and floss daily (even if it's only been a year or so since I got into the habit of flossing regularly). Even hearing that I have to have some cavities taken care of (and hearing how much that is going to cost) didn't phase me. I left in a fantastic mood and am suprisingly happy that I will be returning again tomorrow to get my sensitive tooth taken care of.

I think one of the reasons this was such a good experience is that I am an adult now. Last time I went to the dentist I was a college student, but a young one, still on my parents' insurance, and I felt like I was treated like a teenager who needed to be lectured (rather than counseled) on proper tooth care. This time I was a self-sufficient adult (I guess they need to be nice to adults because adults don't have parents to drag them back every six months).

And the other reason it was a good experience is because it's something I've known I needed to do for quite some time. It always feels good to finally fulfill a duty that has been hanging over my head for far too long - the longer it hangs over my head, the better it feels to get it out of the way.

But even without all of that, it was a pretty painless experience. I feel inspired. I am going to continue to floss every single day, to brush several times a day, to replace my toothbrush frequently, to make trips to the dentist every six months, insurance or no. I have been completely sold on going to the dentist, and have zero fear what so ever. What a nice feeling :)