My dentist took her young daughter to work with her one day. After a couple of hours her daughter said to her, “Mommy, I didn’t know you get paid to hurt people!” According to statistics, “by the age of sixty, “people in an industrialized country like the United States, have lost, on average, a third of their teeth.” I am currently on track to meet or exceed those stats!
Something’s burning! The adrenaline kicks in. Then the realization that the smoke and the smell are coming from the drill inserted into my mouth. Not to worry though. They will put out the fire with tons of water, “Spit, now spit.” Thank goodness for that small bib strapped to the chest!
Before the
torture of Dustin Hoffman’s teeth in Marathon Man, I imagined myself as James
Bond being tortured in the dentist chair. The bright light, the sharp
instruments and the mask on the hygienist. Planning my escape kept the mind off
the discomfort. Oh to be back home eating breakfast!
Pancakes are an excuse to have syrup! French fries are one reason
for catsup. Lessons I learned as a child and regret now as I sit in the dentist’s
chair. I regret my weakness for glucose. A childhood eating Nestles chocolate
from the tin, Frosted flakes, Sugar Pops and Captain Crunch. Hot cereal with
brown sugar (lots of brown sugar). My parents penchant for rewarding me for finishing
dinner with dessert. To this day I can’t eat a meal without something sweet at
the finish.
Crushed under the cost of replacing another cracked crown I
ponder these things. Do these curses come from bad genes, bad habits or bad brushing?
Another cast for the new crown and another partial payment at the front desk. Will
this one sit right? Is this the last one? Will these teeth last? Hoping this
crown won’t crack. I’ve got some Cracker Jacks sitting on the counter.
Photo by Quang Tri NGUYEN on Unsplash
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