Grins, Giggles and Gore

I arrived on time and thankfully I was taken directly to the room where the procedure would be performed. Seated and reclined, the hygienist arrived with an array of sharp looking tools of her trade. My body is rigid and my hands are clamped so tight on the arms of the chair that my forearms are vibrating from the strain. Visiting the dentist rates highly on my list of "things that suck".

The hygienist is a short, blond 20 something with beautiful soft green eyes. I note all this for various reasons. I had to stoop down so she could get the radiation vest on me before she did the 360 degree scan of my mouth. When I dare to open my eyes as she is digging beneath my gums with the water pic tool, I look directly into those green eyes above the face mask she wears. I had requested she talk as she works. I need her to affirm that "you're doing fine", "we're halfway done", "we're almost done" and this she does as she scrapes and cleans. Occasionally I can feel an almost pain sensation but not enough to call a halt and have another injection of the numbing agent. Did I forget to mention the numbing of the gums? My imagination conjures up visions of a very long needle attached to a syringe burrowing deep into my gums and piercing through the skin of my neck. Ridiculous I know but I can't stop the mental images that roll through my brain. She pushes the plunger on that syringe slowly while the medicine gathers up beneath the gums in an area that has no vacancy for it. She injects slowly to give it time to dissipate and be absorbed beneath the gum. I'm grateful for her attention to this detail.

An hour later she finishes and I'm exhausted. Fear is very wearing as is pain. I have to admit I really didn't feel any pain but that didn't keep me from the stress of waiting for it.

500.00 for xrays and cleaning. 2790.00 for one tooth to be removed and an implant to be placed with crown.

I go for this implant next Tuesday. I could have bought a car! I could have had a bathroom redone. I could have....