My teeth just got an A!

I went to the dentist for a routine check-up, and he asked me what I was there for. I said I just needed a cleaning, and he suggested we do without X-rays this time.

If you've been good about dental hygiene all your life, this may seem unremarkable, but I'd avoided dentists altogether for several years before I found Dr. Mahindra, after a very bad experience with one who had less than no bedside manner. I walked into Dr. Mahindra's office the first time with a bad toothache. He dealt with that, and then spent several years on everything from cleanings to root canals, getting my teeth back into good shape, telling me I'm a good patient, and always listening to what I tell him.

That's important. I know it'll hurt sometimes. I can accept that--especially when the dentist thinks a request for more Novocaine is reasonable. The main point is that if I need a break, all I have to do is raise my hand: and then he stops while I swallow, or just take a few deep breaths, depending. (I won't claim that having my teeth cleaned is fun, or even painless--but it's a lot better than toothache, and doesn't last as long as the numbness from Novocaine.)

With all the neglect, and undone dental work, X-rays were a regular part of my visits, to make sure there were no tiny incipient cavities. I don't like dental X-rays: radiation aside, the stupid film squares bite the inside of my mouth. So if the dentist thinks I don't need them, I'm not arguing.

So. I didn't need X-rays, or to be poked with something sharp to see where it hurt. I just had my teeth cleaned, and the only thing my dentist wants me to do differently is to use a softer toothbrush. This feels like a major achievement, somehow, and I bought the new toothbrush on my way to the subway.

But first I stopped at Ben and Jerry's for ice cream.

A long time ago, Dr. Alfandre gave all his patients--or at least all the children, I stopped going to him when we moved when I was 17, then met the nasty man mentioned above--certificates for ice cream, good at the candy store downstairs, to reward us for being good, or maybe just compensate us for having had to sit through the whole procedure at all.

Grownups have to buy our own ice cream, but we get more choices: I had hot fudge sauce on mine.

My teeth just got an A!

I went to the dentist for a routine check-up, and he asked me what I was there for. I said I just needed a cleaning, and he suggested we do without X-rays this time.

If you've been good about dental hygiene all your life, this may seem unremarkable, but I'd avoided dentists altogether for several years before I found Dr. Mahindra, after a very bad experience with one who had less than no bedside manner. I walked into Dr. Mahindra's office the first time with a bad toothache. He dealt with that, and then spent several years on everything from cleanings to root canals, getting my teeth back into good shape, telling me I'm a good patient, and always listening to what I tell him.

That's important. I know it'll hurt sometimes. I can accept that--especially when the dentist thinks a request for more Novocaine is reasonable. The main point is that if I need a break, all I have to do is raise my hand: and then he stops while I swallow, or just take a few deep breaths, depending. (I won't claim that having my teeth cleaned is fun, or even painless--but it's a lot better than toothache, and doesn't last as long as the numbness from Novocaine.)

With all the neglect, and undone dental work, X-rays were a regular part of my visits, to make sure there were no tiny incipient cavities. I don't like dental X-rays: radiation aside, the stupid film squares bite the inside of my mouth. So if the dentist thinks I don't need them, I'm not arguing.

So. I didn't need X-rays, or to be poked with something sharp to see where it hurt. I just had my teeth cleaned, and the only thing my dentist wants me to do differently is to use a softer toothbrush. This feels like a major achievement, somehow, and I bought the new toothbrush on my way to the subway.

But first I stopped at Ben and Jerry's for ice cream.

A long time ago, Dr. Alfandre gave all his patients--or at least all the children, I stopped going to him when we moved when I was 17, then met the nasty man mentioned above--certificates for ice cream, good at the candy store downstairs, to reward us for being good, or maybe just compensate us for having had to sit through the whole procedure at all.

Grownups have to buy our own ice cream, but we get more choices: I had hot fudge sauce on mine.