Miscellany: Changing Views on Dentistry

When I was young, I actually liked going to the dentist. I knew some kids feared it, but it never really concerned me. I'd normally show up to a checkup, where the hygienist would scrape my teeth with her tools and the dentist would poke around a bit. Even if I had a cavity that needed to be drilled, they used enough anesthetic that it wasn't a problem.

Things started to change after my old hygienist moved away. The replacement, while a nice enough lady, was, shall we say, unmerciful with my teeth. Each new scaling or poking produced fresh pain and fresh blood, and by the end of my appointments, the dental bib looked like a horror movie.

I only bring this up because I haven't been to the dentist in a year(!), so it's time for an overdue cleaning.