Trips to the Dentist

Well, I have now joined my friend Bob in adventures with oral surgery/dentist work. Yesterday, I was enjoying a tasty gooey cheese burger (ala gooey cheese burgers and gooey cheese fries from Dairy Queen/Dakota's for all of the Malden folk) from a local restaurant here in Washington called "Dairy Delight" when I discovered I had broken a tooth. Obviously, I freaked out and quickly made an appointment with a local dentist here in town ASAP this morning. One dental exam, cleaning, and filling later, I am now sitting at the computer because I have been so numbed that I look I have palsey and am drooling that I am avoiding all mirrors in my apartment. However, I also have an 8:00A.M. appointment on Wednesday for a root canal on a tooth that had only had minor twinges when eating ice cream! On the plus side, my new dentist here in town, Dr. Tobben, does oral sedation. As a result, I have a lovely bottle of 3 pills (one of which I will take tomorrow evening before I go to bed and the remaining two I will take one hour before my "procedure") to quote "get me in the mood for a root canal". Like Bob, I am replaying all of the root canal horror stories in my mind as Dr. Tobben is telling me what's going to happen. Seeing the look of panic and terror on my face, he calmly asked me what I was thinking, to which I replied, "PAIN!!!!" and related a horrible dental experience with a dentist at home who told me to quit being a sissy as he drilled/filled my tooth after only 2 shots of novacaine before it was completely numb! Dr. Tobben looked at me and said the best words someone who hates dentists can hear, "There's no reason for people to suffer and be all upset by dental procedures anymore. I promise to make this as easy as possible." To prove his point, he proceeded to repair my broken tooth with very little pain and called in my prescription for my "happy, sedated, dental procedure" pills. Apparently, I'll be awake, but according to the dental hygenist, I'll be loopy and really won't care what they do to me. Sounds good to me! Give me the drugs!!