Toothy questions for Five on Fridays

Here's my responses to this weeks questions from Five on Fridays:

1. How do you feel about going to the dentist?

Pretty good, actually. I've always taken care of my teeth, so I really don't have anything to be scared of. Also, I always figure that even though sitting in the chair and having a stranger stick their hands and pointy instruments into my mouth isn't exactly what I'd call "fun", it DOES prevent worse torture from happening in my future! I've heard such horror stories about root canals and reconstructions that I REALLY want to avoid that in the future!

2. Describe your worst dental experience.

When I was a kid, instead of seeing dentist in our local area, we would see my Uncle, who was a dentist in my dad's hometown. Since we made the 6-7 hour trip a few times a year, all we'd have to do is tell him in advance when we'd be there and then we'd get Saturday morning appointments for the whole family.

When I was about 5 or 6 years old, I was so excited because I had my first loose tooth just before we went to see my Uncle. It was just barely loose -- not even enough play to call it a "wiggle" yet, but still - it was my first one, so it was exciting to me. When we got to his office, I proudly opened my mouth and presented my ever-so-slightly tilting tooth. He said, "well, look at that" and reached in to wiggle it himself. Or so I assumed. Instead of merely giving it a curious poke and wiggle, he grasped my tiny little front tooth in his massive meaty fingers and YANKED IT OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!!!!

I'm surprised I haven't needed therapy considering the shock, pain and dismay it caused me to suffer the demise of my first loose tooth in such a violent, unsatisfying and shocking way!


3. Describe your best dental experience.

When I got all four wisdom teeth removed the summer before I went to college, it was much easier than I'd expected. Again, not to say it was fun, but I was expecting so much worse that it was actually a pleasant surprise to find that the swelling and pain were very manageable!


4. Do you floss?

Of course!

5. Would you consider wearing braces as an adult?

As a matter of fact, I'm seriously considering doing just that! I had braces as a pre-teen and over the years, my teeth have started to migrate slightly from their assigned places. It's not bad right now, but I'd like to do something about it while it's still an easy (and relatively painless) fix. One of these days, I'll get around to making the appointment for an orthodontic consultation, so don't be surprised to hear that I've got braces or a retainer!