Does anyone really like to go to the dentist? As a kid, I did, because I used to get to pick a small toy out of this treasure chest at the end of every appointment. Today, not so much, as the only thing I get when I leave an appointment is a package containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. But in all honesty, I’m actually grateful that I ended up going to my dentist just over a week ago on the spur of the moment. And it all began with a weird dream I had the night before that visit when I thought I had cracked a tooth (but didn’t).
Some would say that dreams are never anything more than just that, dreams. I, on the other hand, have begun to see how dreams can at times, provide valuable insight to areas in my life I need to pay attention to. So maybe this is why I had the dentist on my mind all the next day after having that cracked tooth dream, or maybe not. Either way, going to the dentist is not normally something I have on my mind when it comes to my day to day living, but the I have to say the daily maintenance of my teeth is.
While I may not be the world’s best flosser, I can definitely say that I diligently brush my teeth at least twice a day and sometimes, even more. I’m sure that’s a big reason why any dentist I’ve seen for the past two decades have given me high marks and flying colors. As the years have passed though, these consistent high marks have led me to make excuses and avoid those twice a year dental cleaning appointments. But last week though, during a few hours I had time to kill, whether it was because of that cracked tooth dream or not, something motivated me to contact my dentist. I have to admit that the dentist is probably one of the last places I would ever want to be spending my free time at, so deep down I was really hoping they were going to be too busy for a walk-in, but they weren’t. Twenty minutes later, I found myself sitting in that dental chair and starting to dread what I dread most whenever I’m there, which is having my gums poked and prodded with that sharp tool, as well as the uncomfortable sensation and taste I get from their cleaning instruments and pastes. While I sat there slightly anxious because of this, the assistant informed me that they’ll be doing my annual dental x-rays prior to the cleaning. So after much biting, clenching, and holding my mouth open in various positions for both those x-rays and the eventual cleaning, the dentist finally came in where I expected my normal good news. Unfortunately for me, that ended up not being the case.
“You have a small cavity…“, the dentist casually said as I sat there dumbfounded knowing the last cavity I had was before I ever hit puberty. She further informed me I could wait a few more months to have a filling put in since my insurance wasn’t going to cover it. But the idea didn’t seem very appealing to having a cavity remain in my mouth where it would only grow worse with each day that passed. So I proceeded forward with getting the filling right then and there.
By the time everything was done, almost two hours had elapsed from when I had first entered the dentist’s office. The left side of my face, the inside of my mouth, and my throat were all completely numb from the Novocain, all of which was causing me to feel slightly anxious. As I walked out the door to leave, the dentist reassured me that everything would be fine and that the numbness would go away in about an hour. But sadly, her words proved to be quite far from the truth as it took approximately five days for my body (and its extreme sensitivity to medical procedures and medications) to fully heal from the minor procedure. I’m happy to say though, that everything is much better now with my teeth, mouth, and face.
Looking back, my Higher Power has helped me to see how my ego and its expectations made me think my teeth would always be invincible. I also realized I still have some work to do in the area of patience as I worried incessantly for those five days while my body healed itself slowly from that minor dental procedure. While it’s frustrating that I do have such sensitivity to all medical procedures and medications, I am glad that I went to that dentist appointment and took care of this sooner than later. I can only imagine if I had let my ego convince me to wait until later to fix that cavity. Knowing my track record that comes when I put something off, there’s a good chance that decision could have ended up with me getting a root canal or even worse.
The bottom line and my recommendation for all of you is this. Don’t put off your routine dental checkups if you can help it and try to pay attention to your dreams. While I’ll never know if there was something I could have done to prevent that cavity from ever forming, I’m just glad my dream became a catalyst in some way to going to my dentist. And at least now I get to breathe a sigh of relief for another six months…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson