Love Hate Relationship

I did not allow pictures relating to this post for fear Brady would use them for blackmail me in the future. Not that you would want to see them anyway.

I have decided that I have a love hate relationship with my new dentist. Let me tell you why.......

I haven't really had a traumatic experience at the dentist that I can remember but I know that I have NEVER liked going. I have ONE picture of me smiling after having my first cavity filled at the dentist when I was 5 and from that point on I have NEVER smiled at the dentist. We switched dentists right after that and I started going to DR. Gailey. He worked wonders with me having me take baby steps with my fear. I remember some of my first visits the goal was simply to have me sit in the waiting room without having a panic attack. From there, I toured the office and eventually just sat in the chair. The big step for me was actually opening my mouth and letting them look at my teeth. He would tease me as I got older and made me promise that I would control myself and not bite him or throw up on him like I did as a kid. He really is a good dentist and I would highly recommend him.
As I got older, and my permanent teeth came in they were REALLY hard to numb sometimes they couldn't get me to numb all the way and I would have to have the last of the work done with feeling them drilling. NOT FUN.
So, when I had some teeth that were bothering me and found that Dr. Gailey wasn't on my new insurance, I decided to try out a new dentist. I made an appointment for April 19 for a visit to "the torture center" AKA the Dentist and made Brady go with me.We tried Stonehaven in Lehi. (Highly recommend them! Free 1st exam!) Talk about nervous! We had our cleanings done and found out that Brady had 2 cavities and I was the lucky patient chosen to make the next few boat payment for the DR. I had a ton of work that needed to be done. A wisdom tooth removed, 3 new cavities filled, and my silver fillings had started cracking and separating from my teeth and needed to be replaced with 4 crowns and the rest with white fillings. All this for someone who HATES the dentist. They didn't give me much time to dwell on it and had opening that day for us to get our work done. I got that sick feeling in my stomach and tried to think of a million reasons why I couldn't have it done until the assistant told me " We can do it all in one sitting under sedation. You'll take a nap and wake up with it done." At that moment I swear I heard the Hallelujah chorus blaring through the speakers! So despite my other fear of needles, I opted for the nap and was put to sleep for 3 1/2 hours while they pulled my wisdom tooth, filled my new cavities, put 4 temporary crowns on and fixed my other silver fillings. It was my best dentist experience yet. I don't know a Mom in her right mind that would turn down a nap in the middle of the day! I had no bruising, and very little swelling from the work. The only part I didn't like was being so sick to my stomach that night.I returned a week and a half later for another nap for them to put my permanent crowns on.
I am no longer terrified of the dentist. I LOVE him for the no pain dental work and the nap in the middle of the day. The only part I hate is how much those naps are going to cost me!