This morning I went in for a teeth cleaning at my dentist's office. It seems as though the six months in between appointments goes by way too quickly. Sure, it's only twice a year that I have to go in, but each time I sit down in that chair, I wish for a speedy procedure. It isn't that having my teeth cleaned is painful, or that I have a fear of the Doc discovering cavities, it's merely the awkwardness of the entire appointment that I dread.
For starters, I love my dental hygienist and dentist and wouldn't think about going anywhere else for dental work, but I find it odd that they often ask me questions in the middle of cleanings or exams when they know I won't be able to respond. I can, of course, mumble an occasional "uh huh" with a mouth full of tools and air, or even shake my head yes or no. But most of the time I just give off a blank stare as if to say "you know I can't talk right now."
Second in line for the awkward award goes to my dental hygienist's morning hunger. Each time she cleans my teeth, without fail, I listen to her stomach growl over and over again during my appointment. I've heard it consistently now for several years, and I really want to ask her if she eats breakfast. It's not that I mind hearing the fluttering of her intestines, I'm just curious as to whether or not she's rushing out of the house in the morning and if she has time to eat. Maybe she just prefers her teeth to be free of debris in order to be a good example to her patients. Perhaps I should ask her one of these days, as I'm sure that conversation would not be uncouth!
Finally, the most awkward part of going to the dentist, for me, is having to lay in the chair with another person's face in my face and not knowing where to focus my eyes. It would be rude to stare at them, right? I've heard that many patients either go to sleep during cleanings or at least close their eyes to avoid this problem. I can do neither of those because I am too anxious, so I usually just focus on the wall and try to avoid eye contact. There are times, however, when I'm asked to turn my head toward the person so that they can get a better view of my teeth. When that happens, I feel trapped! There's no where for me to stare but right into their eyes! I've thought about wearing sunglasses during the appointments so that nobody can see my eyes, but that might be offensive.
So, there you have it. Six months from today, I'll be back in that chair again. In the meantime, I am going to ponder ways to make the time at the dentist go by faster. Keeping my teeth clean and cavity free is a start...
