Big Needles

There’s a common trope about people being scared of the dentist. I’ve never had trouble going to the dentist though. Sure, it’s a bit uncomfortable and the scraping part is annoying. But your mouth comes out feeling clean. Plus having all my teeth at 80 sounds like a good life goal.

At my last cleaning a small cavity was discovered. Dentist wanted to fill it and possibly a second that she would be able to see better once she worked on the first. I didn’t give it a moments hesitation and we went right to it.

She wipes some numbing agent around in my mouth and I expect she’ll get started after that. Then she pulls out a big syringe. In truth, it probably isn’t very big. But when you’re lying flat and it’s being stuck into your mouth, the thing takes up your whole field of vision. That makes it look pretty big. Then it gets shoved into your gums and that shit is super uncomfortable. It feels like its going right through your face and takes far longer than you’d think. Then they do it again.

So I still wouldn’t say I’m afraid of the dentist or would have any trouble doing the procedure again. But I guess I can understand people’s reluctance a little better.