{"id":1556,"date":"2019-10-21T03:49:32","date_gmt":"2019-10-21T03:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/excrcl.com\/?p=1556"},"modified":"2019-10-21T03:49:32","modified_gmt":"2019-10-21T03:49:32","slug":"no-cavities-and-other-small-victories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/excrcl.com\/?p=1556","title":{"rendered":"No Cavities and Other Small Victories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The following is going to be a rambling stream of consciousness, and I accepted that before even beginning to write. So here goes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple days ago, I was heading to the dentist. For the first time ever, I was actually looking forward to it — a chance to leave work, get out of the office, feel the air outside. My optimism about the visit quickly dissipated once I arrived. As I started filling out forms that I had sworn I had filled out online days prior, I gritted my teeth (a bad response in this context) and prepared myself for the inevitable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My problem with going to the dentist is that no matter how good you are about caring for your teeth, you’re always told you could be doing much, much better. You floss daily? How many times a day? Only twice? Not enough. Mouth-washing is not enough. Having a fancy electric toothbrush is not enough. Brushing for five minutes, three times a day, is not enough. Basically, only dentists and dental hygienists care for their teeth properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve had issues with dentists from the very beginning. In fact, once my school stopped requiring me to provide dental check-up reports (high school), I just stopped going. My parents didn’t enforce it, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to remind them to schedule me appointments. So, I went eight years — yes, EIGHT YEARS — without going to the dentist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All that time, I wasn’t avoiding the dentist for the petty reason that I hated how dissatisfied she or he was with me; I just had had enough of dental care. Growing up, I had 10 teeth removed. Four of those teeth were removed at age 8, in one sitting<\/em>. In addition, I had braces, so I was basically at an orthodontist or dentist appointment for what felt like every month for two years. I just felt that I had done my share. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I realized minutes into filling out the forms that I did<\/em> fill them out (they were printed and completed, in my backpack), and then just felt irritable as I proceeded to the chair to have my teeth scraped for 45 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the hygienist was through with this torture, the dentist breezily entered the room, examined my teeth for all of two minutes, and said, “Well, you have no cavities. That’s great, right? Everyone likes to hear that, right?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right. It is<\/em> great, actually. Here I was, stewing about past dental experiences, giving this experience no chance, taking out my bad mood on these perfectly innocent people. I forgot, as I tend to do, that my experience was no different than anyone else’s. Going to the dentist isn’t fun for anyone; all we can ask for is no cavities, best case scenario. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve been having a tough month, and I was so close to adding this dentist appointment to the list of grievances I’ve been accumulating. But instead, I’ve decided to add “no cavities” to a list of the victories from this month. I’m not discounting the struggles I’ve been facing, but rather highlighting some of the things that have been getting me through. Here’s what I came up with today, as I cried to the radio on my drive home: <\/p>\n\n\n\n