My Dentist Visit

So, today I had to go in to get a crown done on my lower jaw (I mention this now because it's apparently different than having them done on the upper jaw, you will hear more about this later).

Prior to leaving I had to give a presentation demoing a new database tool being used in the Lab System I've been working on. Anywho, I ended up giving the presentation and getting some questions at the end of it that resulted in me leaving 15 minutes before the appointment started (the dentist is 20 minutes away).

Somehow I made it there just a couple of minutes late. Well when I walked in I must have looked stressed because the dentist asked me if I wanted some laughing gas. After a brief discussion regarding how much more the laughing gas might cost me (he said nothing, but I should have suspected it would cost me something) - I signed up for it.

He promptly plopped the nose mask down on my face, which is heavier than you might expect (well it was heavier than I expected and kind of looked like a snake or 2 armed octopus [a bipus perhaps?]). Then he told me it would make me "not care as much about what was going on". "Danger Will Rogers" is what went through my head immediately. I considered "going ninja" on him and using it as a weapon, but quickly decided against it.

After a couple of minutes the dentist's assistant asked how I was feeling. "Tired" was my response, "really tired". She said that was normal that she wasn't sure why they called it laughing gas, aside from it did seem to make children laugh a lot. I thought 'lady -you have no idea how lucky you are that this didn't go the other way for me' (making me laugh instead of being so tired, if you know me you have to know it could've easily went either way).

Then the drilling began. Since my normal dentist was out due to a motorcycle accident (he's ok), his son (also a dentist) was doing the drilling. I realized early on that I could see what he was doing in the reflection of his glasses - lucky me. I found the situation to be very much like a train wreck type deal (instead of looking away I couldn't help but watch the mini eyeglass TV displaying what was happening in there).

Because I felt something on my tongue and could not see it in the reflection of the glasses (it really felt like some type of dental material was just sitting on my tongue or perhaps a piece of my tooth he just drilled off saying to the other teeth "ha ha ha, I'm out of here suckers!") I asked "is there something on my tongue?" to the dentist and his assistant. To which they asked to see my tongue. After sticking it out and having them examine it, the decision was that there was nothing there. However, when they weren't looking I tried to pick the stuff off of it where I thought it was and sure enough, nothing was there.

After he drilled in there for a while we were waiting (for something, not sure what honestly) - again. After trying to put some chapstick on (rather unsuccessfully) I decided the lower lip was no longer an option. Not only could I not see my mouth (remember I have a 2 armed octopus across the middle of my face) I could not feel my bottom lip at all either.

After waiting he went back in to put some paint thinner on my tooth (while I'm sure it wasn't really paint thinner I do know it's exactly what I would expect paint thinner to taste like), I again waited. Because I was so drowsy I shut my eyes for a moment and fell asleep briefly. I woke up startled looking at the Moth Man (mythological English creature much like the Big Foot in the US...I sooo need to stop watching MonsterQuest on the History channel) looking at me (perched ready to attack). Before I freaked out I realized it was just a large TV that because of it's hanging apparatus looked like it had wings.

Finally it was all over with and thank goodness too. I'm not sure I would have made it out of there alive if I had to stay any longer than I did.