Do you know what your irrational fears or triggers are? Have you ever personally witnessed all your dignity leave the building in less than ten minutes? Have you ever thought “I’m finally an adult!” only to realize that you aren’t doing so well as an adult?
I admit, I have a rather unique and twisted sense of humor. I actively strive to find the humor in all situations and laugh at myself frequently. Please enjoy my recount of my recent trip to the dentist and do feel free to laugh with me.
I haven’t been to a dentist for close to 8 years due to my deep deep hatred for….dentists. It’s not against any one specific individual, I hate them all equally. After being forced to make an appointment with the dentist by my husband (in other words, he made me an appointment and informed me about said appointment), I dreaded the day for the weeks leading up to the day of doom.
The day arrived. Brian took time off of work to drive me there and wait for me. I was expecting for the appointment to be horrible. After 8 years, two pregnancies, three surgeries and hitting my 30s, I was expecting to have 10 plus cavities, root canals, and who knows what else! I was braced for the news! After all the waiting, poking and prodding the dentist came in and said that I had one cavity but….my wisdom teeth also needed to be removed and I would need braces again. Considering what I was expecting, not bad at all! I made the appointment to have my filling and left the office secure in my confidence of being an “adult.”
Then it happened….the day arrived for my filling….
With my newfound confidence of being a functioning adult, I assured Brian that I could drive myself to the dentist and he could work at home with the girls. I miss that confidence. I should have enjoyed that confidence more while I had it….
I confidently arrived early to my appointment and waited for the call to come into the office. With my dignity fully intact, I walked into the office ready for my filling. I sat in the chair, waiting for the dentist to come start. As I’m sitting there my mind goes back to when I was 12, when I had some baby teeth removed for braces. THAT dentist didn’t numb part of my mouth, and he still pulled teeth while holding me down. As those memories started playing in my head I gave myself a mental pep talk because….I’m an adult! I was saying in my head “I’ve got this. I’m an adult! Adults do this all the time on their own! I’m an adult! I’m a functioning adult! I can do this! I can do this! I AM AN ADULT!”
What’s important to note is that in my sheer mounting panic, what I thought was a mental pep talk was actually out loud. Did I notice this? No, not until the nurse asked if I was going to be okay and actually able to go through with the filling. I would love to say that that is the worst of what happened, but no, it got worse. As the dentist came in and sat down, he very kindly asked what traumatic event happened and suggested that talking it out would help. After I told him about it, he assured me that I would be completely numb, and he would stop immediately if I felt anything.
We talked it out.
He asked if I was ready.
“Yes, let’s do it.”
“Let’s get started.”
As he started to recline my chair, that’s when the remaining dignity I possessed left the entire building. For whatever reason, I, as a full grown adult, decided that THEN was the appropriate time to burst into tears. Why?? I haven’t a clue. The confusion on the nurse’s and dentist’s faces will live in my brain forever. I did finally stop crying and go through with the filling. He did make it where I couldn’t feel anything and it wasn’t horrible, at all! I mean, I can probably never go back to that office, and I am contemplating changing my name and identity still. That’s completely logical, right? When I was all finished and back in my car I starting laughing about the entire situation until I had tears rolling down my face.
One of the highlights from my experience was what happened as I dragged my numb and dignity-free self out of the chair to leave. The dentist patted the chair arm and said with a smirk (I’m assuming there was smirk under the mask, that is), “Good luck with getting your wisdom teeth out next Friday.”
Liisa, I love you and I miss you making me laugh all the time!! Even though I hate you had a traumatic time, I def needed that laughter tonight! 😂
The whole situation was too funny to NOT share!
Lisa,
Great story. It reminded me of a similar thing that happened to me when I was about your age. I got “deadened” twice but each time he started drilling I came up out of the chair with pain. That Dentist used laughing gas too. Well the third time I saw him just turn up the gas, way up. I think I was hallucinating but I thought I saw him and his assistant making weird faces at me. Anyway, when he started drilling I could tell it hurt but I just didn’t care.
When I got home and told Brian all about it, he said he was surprised that I was okay going by myself. He then reminded me that the only other time I had a filling when the Dentist in Florida tried to start, I black out and came to wrapped around his neck across the room. I have no solid memory of that just vague recollections. I’ve embraced that I’ll always lose all dignity at the dentist by now. Its just inevitable for me!