Dentists

I think I addressed this before, but I was thinking about it AGAIN. I do not like dentists and I never have, but did you know that when I was a child there was a dental clinic on wheels that came to school every year, and we were marched out to this bus-type vehicle which was a dental office and given free teeth exams. It was another one of those free health things the schools provided back then. I wonder if they still do that?

Anyway, I had good teeth until third or fourth grade and then I got that dreaded note to take home to my parents urging them to get my teeth taken care of. You see, the check-up was free, but the dental work wasn't.

So, my mom packed herself and me onto a bus into Philly, which of course made me sick. Then we got to this dentist, and he hurt me, boy did he hurt me. The more I yelled the harder he drilled, saying I was being a baby, etc. Well, an 8-year-old is a baby isn't it? Anyway, he didn't finish in one day and I was ordered to go back and get the other teeth fixed.

Well, the night before the next dental appointment we had peach ice cream and I got sick to my stomach from it. I was throwing up all night, so mom, against her better judgment cancelled the dental appointment. I think she thought I was faking the sickness or something.

I didn't get out of the appointment that easily, though. We went the following week, and this dentist finished his torture of me and fixing my teeth.

I am so thankful I have good teeth. Right now I know I have to get to a dentist, but until the pain gets so bad I can't stand it, I'll NOT go.

I've been hearing a commercial on local radio of a dentist who knows of people like me, people who haven't been to a dentist in years and who, because of a bad childhood experience, won't go to a dentist until their teeth are beyond repair, and he would like me to give him a try.

Who knows? Maybe one of these days I will. Nah!