This is from a couple of years back. I’m not sure why I dread going to see a dentist. Maybe it’s all the mysterious, sharp-pointed tools that conjure up thoughts of medieval torture chambers. Maybe it’s a fear of the unknown. Maybe it’s a fear of the known. But, one thing is certain–I’m always relieved to survive the session and get up out of that chair and go home. And, all this brings on the memory of a cute television commercial which I’ll bet few of you ever heard: “Brush-a, brush-a, brush-a, with the new Ipana.” Ipana was a toothpaste. And, Bucky Beaver. If you’ve never heard of him, click on this link and travel back to the 1950s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0po-g28uTg
With fear and trembling, I entered the small room and sat down in a chair only to be lent backward to a prone position. A bright light shone on my face. Was this the Inquisition? I’d answer any question just to be up and out of there. My heart thumped wildly. Every muscle stretched to a trembling tautness.
Closing my eyes so I would not see the extremely sharp needle heading my way, I wondered what ill-conceived thought brought me to this place. A prick and a numbing paralysis spread through my mouth.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Mmph,” I answered.
“Good. We’re ready to begin,” he said.
The sound of the drill vibrated through every bone in my head. Water sloshed into my mouth and dribbled down my neck. My swallow reflex kicked in but how could I swallow when I didn’t know what it would do to my teeth? Glug. I must be choking.
“Glurk,” I mumbled.
“Just about finished,” he soothed. “Then, we’ll let you up and you can rinse out.”
“All finished,” he said at last. “You’re good to go.”
“Gwaphe. Tha’s a weef.”
My dentist is a kind and gentle man. I’ve known him for many years and he is part of my extended family. He’s highly skilled and we have a good rapport. He is known for being gentle and is a popular dental care specialist. The comparison to a torture chamber was only in my own mind because it really isn’t. What is there about a dental procedure that elicits fear and trembling? The only thing I can figure out is I have an affliction. It is called Dentamechaniphobia. Yes, I just made that up.
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