h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here I sit feeling sorry for myself, but damn glad that's over.

I have this *wonderful* phobia about dentists. I hate them. Really, really hate them. I truly would prefer to have something broken than have to see one.

I rather suspect this is due to too many of my early dentists who I'm sure were confirmed sadists. This type of dentist can be detected by their cry of "this won't hurt". Won't hurt *them*. Me, yes.

Anyway.

I'd had a wisdom tooth taken out a few years back. My mouth was shaped such that I couldn't get the brush to reach my right upper wisdom (the left was fine, for some reason), and it had decayed badly. So, in with the local anasthetic (about 4 times as much as normal, due to my curious physiology), and one person holds my head, while the dentist uses the pliers. Isn't modern technology wonderful?

A few months ago I had a *very* bad cavity needed filling. While there they took a pretty x-ray and discovered my lower wisdoms were impacted, and my lower left was in fact little more than a shell. There was no way to clean down into the slight gap left betwen my molar and my wisdom. The right was also in serious danger.

So out they had to come. And to stop possible future problems my upper left wisdom also had to come out. Three teeth. I chose to be sedated.

Today I had them out. I slept soundly during the op, though I had some bizzarre (but not scary, thank goodness) dreams about having teeth removed.

Now I'm sitting here sore and almost scared to eat. It's very, very hard to stop my tongue from 'exploring' the new spaces.

Oh well. At least they're out and I can just heal and get on with life again.

I must admit I've not been back to the dentist since 1993.
I was terrible at going before that, but I always thought my teeth were worth the apprehension & the pain.
Until I got an absess above my two front teeth.
The lady dentist was marvellous.
She asked, quite nicely, if some students could watch my op.
I agreed.
I won't describe the op.
Suffice to say I was conscious throughout...

By the time I left, I glanced in the mirror in reception, and I didn't recognize myself. I've seen road accident victims on tv dramas look better.

I had to return a week later to have the stitches removed.
That was the last time I ever set foot inside a dentists.
My phobia has become....what?
Non-negotiable.
I would rather die of toothache {touch wood, haven't had any!} than make an appointment.

The only reason I went to the dentist in the first place is my Alpha, (Mrs Wolf) made me go. I can't say no to her so...end of story.

Which is not to say that I was relaxed. Oh no...definitely not relaxed.