Wimp

It's not just Texas critters that I am afraid of. It's not just having too many chins. It's not even Perfect Daughter's penchant for leaping out of "already-statistically-dangerous" small planes.

It's the dentist.

I come by that fear logically. I grew up in Iran. Dentistry in Iran, in the 60's, wasn't exactly "cutting edge". (Well, it might have been "cutting" but there was not a sophisticated edge to it...more like a jagged one that made you scream). This whole "sedation dentistry" with headphones, music, DVD's, and a warm, cocoon-like experience that is so common in the US today...just wasn't happening there. We had "traveling dentists" and whether they were British, Indian, Iranian or "other"---they weren't American. I personally think Americans have a love affair with their teeth. I also think that translates to "Americans have the best dentists". Call me rude, call me narrow-minded, but I like to think MY dentist had his training in the land of Hollywood-bright smiles.

In Iran, I have memories of things such as--the dentist actually PULLING my tooth without novocaine. Yeah. Or, (and let me tell you, this is a unique memory)....a drill that was pumped by the dentist's foot. It ain't high-speed unless he's an Olympian in his off-time. That hurt.

Our other choice back then, rather than use the traveling dentist who came to our little oil camp, was to go once a year, while we were on leave. That was "ok" because in San Diego the dentist DID use novocaine and high speed drills. The "not ok" part was that we were only there once a year, and we always had a mouthful of cavities by then. I forgot to add...fluoridated water was not a part of life in rural Iran.

All this to say, the cavities I had then have come back to haunt me now. Believe me, I finally (at age 45) understand my mother's pleas to her four children to brush and floss. Because, (other than the dental bills she wanted to avoid), she KNEW cavities then would mean more work NOW.

Several months ago, I started having "sensitivity" in my teeth. (Mr. herewegoagain and my three children might say it is the only sensitive part of my body, but I digress). I did ask my dentist about it at my last check up , and was told, "Oh, as you get older, your teeth will get sensitive...use Sensodyne". Which I did. The sensitivity got worse and worse and I was a "tad" bit worried about it all, but I thought that I would simply mention it at my next check-up and get reassured again. Then, last week, my lymph nodes swelled up, I felt feverish and achey, and I went to the doctor. Yep, it was A TOOTH. (Or maybe many teeth?). The upshot is that my worst fear of all is coming true.

I have a root canal scheduled for today.

I just don't think the phrase, "it was as fun as a root canal",--spoken to basically describe torture--came out of nowhere. I am going to a specialist (who by the way, makes a boatload of money for an hour's work...I highly recommend endondistry as a career for anyone looking to be rich). THEY have assured me that it is "nothing". I'll go, it'll be done, I'll drive home, I'll feel great.

Here is my plan. I'll go. I'll faint. Someone ELSE will drive me home. I'll spend the rest of the week in bed.

The worst part (besides the large check I'll be writing) is that I personally think ALL my teeth need a root canal. They ALL hurt. It's that Iranian dentistry coming back to get me, all these years later. After all, I am an American. That might have been the plan, back in 1968-1971--you just never know. There were a lot of us there then. Hmmmmmm......