Tryst with the dentist

I was 7 and in the dentist’s chair. My mom was right beside me. Encouraging and egging me on.

The dentist was all sugar as she helped me into her chair. But I should have known better. She pushed into my gums something to help me not feel the pain later. It is ironic how painful this pain-relieving process was. And so, teary-eyed, I looked at her with disgust, at my mom with a how-could-you-do-this-to-me face and I ran.  As soon as I found that the two women around me were engrossed in their own little talk, I slipped off the chair and I ran all the way home without a backward glance. 

I sat inside the house all day with a swollen gum (all thanks to the Cruella with needles) cursing the newly built-up courage that took me to her in the first place!

I was 10 and in the dentist’s chair. My mom was right beside me, encouraging and egging me on.

This time the dentist was a student. And not a smart one. He tried with all his might to pull out one of my canines.  Heavens know what problem he had with it. Thankfully, the canine refused. This time I didn’t have to run back home. My mom brought me home herself. I think she, like me, saw how stupid the guy was. I think she, like me, could see no sense in pulling out a perfectly healthy tooth. 

I lived with a scarred gum for a month, again cursing my courage!

I was 14 and not in the dentist’s chair. My mom was trying to convince me to visit the dentist to get braces like everyone around me was. But I knew better.

Despite her futile attempts to make me see reason, I didn’t hate my gums enough to let another person meddle with them.

I am 20 and in the dentist’s chair!  And my mom hasn’t egged me on this time!

No, I am not that beauty conscious. No, I am not a big fan of the perfect smile. No, my repulsion for dentists hasn’t dwindled one bit.  So what brought back the long lost courage?

One notorious canine has been creating mayhem in my mouth. So helpless and horrified, I had to visit another one of them.

Contrary to what people told me, the procedure isn’t painful, fits my schedule and lets me eat whatever I like. So far so good!

The new dentist isn’t sugar toothed or stupid. That is nothing like my previous encounters. I like this cake! And here’s the cherry- it’s been two months since I’ve been flaunting steel over my dentition. And yet somehow my gums are neither swollen, nor bruised!