Going to the dentist is the pits.
Even when you have an excellent dentist like mine, a root canal is still a root canal.
Having your mouth open for over an hour while you drown in your own spit and constantly fight the gag reflex, is exhausting.
I wonder how often dentists get bitten?
It certainly makes one reconsider the value of flossing. I swear I won’t shirk my flossing or gargling routines ever again!
Although I distantly remember swearing to do the same after my last dentist appointment.
Lying on my back at my dentist’s mercy, I at least felt grateful to not be repeating my last two dentistry experiences.
Both were the stuff of nightmares – for completely different reasons.
First up, many moons ago I quite accidently went for a check-up at possibly the most expensive dentist in town.
Had I known the fee (totally out of my league) I would never have lain down in that chair.
I still feel ill if I think about receiving that bill.
I was young and I had naively not realised how far outside of medical aid rates the dentists who cater to the Zimbali/Simbithi crowd operate.
On the rebound I headed off to the cheapest dentist I could find. Another big mistake!
She was sweet enough but fresh out of dentistry school, and totally inexperienced.
I felt akin to a Guinea pig lined up for the slaughter. But it was too late, I was already strapped in with the drill hacking into my precious teeth. I must live with the results.
Being at someone’s mercy who clearly hasn’t a clue is a horror movie in the making.
God really should have made us more like crocodiles, with multiple layers of new teeth every ten years or so.
Still you will be pleased to hear that I have learnt a thing or two from the experiences.
Ask for rates upfront and cheaper is definitely not better.
Two life lessons that will stand me in good stead for a great deal more than my next dentist appointment.
***
And just for laughs…
Q: What is the number one reason patients don’t show up for root canals?
A: They lose their nerve.
Q: Why should you be kind to your dentist?
A: Because they have fill-ings too.
Q: What does a dentist give a bear with a terrible toothache?
A: Anything it wants.
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