Dun Dun Dun The Dentist

I have a fear of the dentist. Most people who know me well know this. My husband actually had to drag me in once while I cried. I didn't have this fear as a child. I was young and unassuming then! When I was in my early 20's I started having problems with a wisdom tooth. It had come in funny and was causing me pain. The dentist that I went to as a kid didn't accept my new grown up person insurance so I had to find a new dentist. My old dentist would have happily give me the happy gas and things would have been so much easier. Not this new dentist. No sir, no way. This guy apparently enjoyed the sadistic torture that is dentistry.

First, this guy told me he was going to numb me up to have the tooth removed. I was expecting the gentle pinch that my old dentist would administer. I have never been so wrong. That S.O.B drove that needle straight into the roof of my mouth and I nearly went through the roof of the building with pain. I should have walked out right then but I figured since I was already numb what more could really happen. Well that guy started to yank my tooth and I wasn't completely numb yet that's what. You know how cartoons see stars above their heads when they are hurt? Yep, that was pretty much me. He then jammed a needle into my not numb at all gum. I was finally numb and he pulled the tooth. I never went back there or to any other dentist for much to long.

Now I am plagued with dental problems and my stomach just hurts to even think about going to the dentist. I do when I have to but I avoid it as much as possible. I've found a better dentist but the anxiety still gets to me.

What I hate the most about my fear is that I'll pass it along to my children. I have terrible teeth and I don't want them to have the same problems. So I've started taking them at a very young age. They both went today. Ben got his first real cleaning and he did a great job! I was so proud of him. Maybe next time I go to the dentist I'll take him with me and he can hold my hand and talk me through it. Jillian had her first ever dentist visit today and she cried and fought to get away. I totally felt her pain. I've acted similarly, only she's 16 months. I'm 30 so I guess I can't use age as an excuse for myself. Right?