On Wednesday, Jan. 13, I am going to my doom.
In other words, I’m going to the dentist. To get my first deep cleaning. This is a 2-hour treatment that involves my taking ibuprofen before I even get there, and then the hygienist promised she’d either give me nitrous or numb everything.
Oh my god I wanna die.
See, I didn’t go to the dentist for, um, about six years. Why? Because I was a “freelance writer” for most of that time, and I couldn’t afford to go to the doctor, much less the dentist*. After I did manage to get dental insurance, I put it off for as long as I could before Amy took over and made the appointment for me. (Uh, thanks, honey. I know I’ll be grateful to you in my old age when I still have teeth.)
Did I mention that Wednesday’s 2-hour horror show is only the first of two that I have to endure?! By the end of the second one, my teeth better be sparklier than Edward Cullen!
The hygienist suggested that I bring my iPod to counteract the high-pitched squeal of the cleaning tools. They sound like nails going down a chalkboard to me. This has left me with the bizarre choice of what kind of music do I want to listen to during the cleaning, because forevermore, that music will be associated with the horrible trauma of dental work.
So far, I’ve concluded that I might be OK with ruining Adam Lambert (his album just hasn’t become a favorite of mine, but I still love him) or some really old ’90s grunge rock like Soundgarden. I don’t know, though. What would you listen to?
And anybody else out there want to share some sympathy pains re: dentistry?
UPDATE
Well, I’ve survived. Currently the entire lower right quadrant of my face is STILL numb from the novocaine. Getting the injection was a painful experience, but it did insulate me from feeling any other pain. And I have to say that the dental hygienist was really, really nice to me.
I ended up listening to some classic Garbage: Version 2.0. I decided that it would be better to listen to something I actually liked than something that would annoy me. And wow, I’d forgotten how awesome Shirley Manson is!
Lastly, the tragedy in Haiti has been all over the news today. And you know what? Dental work, horrible though it is, is pretty much nothing compared to the disaster in Haiti. I came home and donated to the Red Cross.
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* You bet I support healthcare reform!
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{ 8 comments }
Hi Malinda,
If it’s of any consulation…
I, too, had been without insurance for quite some time while I was trying my hand at being a starving artist. I’ve had insurance for four years now and while that’s more than ample time to schedule an appointment it somehow seemed easier to just put it off. I totally get it.
As a result of that procrastination, I, too, had that same procedure a couple of months ago. Half way through the first appointment the hygienist totally geeked out on me, “Look at this big chunk that came off!” I didn’t think it was possible to feel more disgusted than I already did, but showing me the black chunk on the end of her index finger sure did the trick. (Yep – black. I have no idea what crevace that came from but ew!) That was followed by a brief sense of relief when I thought, “Well, at least I know I’m in good hands because clearly, she’s totally into her job.”
It’s nice that you have an idea of what to expect. I wish they had explained this procedure to me in greater detail prior to the first appointment. There’s nothing like being surprised by a prepped tray of dentistry instruments that include two huge needles full of novacane. “What are those for, are they really necessary for this procedure?” I asked. She reassured me that I would be better off numb. She was right.
Although I was ready for a really big nap when it was over, the procedure was not unpleasant and I had little to no recovery time. The second appointment went better. Once I went back for the third appointment, which was a follow up to the entire procedure, she polished them up and Edward Cullen sparkly is absolutely the right description for how they felt and looked.
I wish I had some music suggestions for you. But I will say, you can try the iPod but keep in mind that you’ll be hearing that noise from basically inside your body, practically right next to your inner ear. Just saying.
Good luck!
Kim
Oh my god, Kim, I don’t know if I’m more freaked out now or less!! Eek! I wish they would just give me general anesthetic and I could be passed out for the whole thing. Ugh. I suspect that the music won’t entirely block out the noise but it can’t be any worse than without it, right?
Agh!
I don’t have music suggestions, but I totally relate/sympathize.
And I’m glad to know I’m in good company…I’m gearing up to make a first dentist appointment in *mumblemumble* years soon too.
Hope tomorrow is…not as bad as you’re expecting.
My music selection would be Metallica, or Bella Morte, or some sort of zombie smashing riot because I’d want to be OUT OF THERE. That said… I just cancelled a cleaning… MY second half to a two part you’ve-been-off-the-radar-too-long session… and now I have to reschedule it… sometime…
Oh no! I’m not in the business of freaking people out. I was trying to help, really I was! I assume you’ll be posting a follow up blog letting us all know that you made it through the “horror show” just fine and what you finally settled on for music. I’ll be thinking of you this morning.
Kim
Thanks, guys.
T-minus 3.5 hours till the horror begins!
That sounds scary! I had a deep cleaning at the periodontist a while ago, but I got to have fun IV drugs instead of a bunch of separate appointments like you did. I might have had the separate appointment thing, but I had to go away to college in a few days, so he wanted to get everything done beforehand.
I guess the scariest dental experience I had was getting two root canals in one day. However, they weren’t as bad as I though they’d be. I currently have dental insurance, but I still have bad teeth, thanks to a genetic predisposition to periodontal disease and other teeth problems. And I have to switch to a worse form of insurance because it’s more affordable, so I support healthcare reform too.
As for dentist music, I would personally listen to A.F.I. or Linkin Park, but I’m not sure if you like those bands.
I’m totally terrified of dentists; a few years ago I went for a “series of fillings” after not having been for years due to insurance issues and it turned into about 20. Having finished that off, I avoided going back for two years and just got a crown six weeks ago. After putting it in, the dentist – who was very nice – was filing it off to the right size when I had a near-panic attack. She kept asking if it was low enough and I kept saying “sure, yeah, I guess so” even though it wasn’t in a desperate attempt to escape. There was no pain, I was simply freaking out. When she finally grew frustrated and explained that this was important so I could chew, I yelled at her “I’m sorry, but I HATE DENTISTS!” Then, of course, I felt really bad.
My trick is to stay up the night before in a blind panic then sleep through whatever procedure I need thanks to exhaustion. Which may be stupid but generally works for me.
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