Dental Nazi Hygienists

I was sitting in the chair waiting for the rather plain brown haired dental assistant to begin her process. I was getting a crown installed on my back upper molar. I have never had a crown, never really had an issue with my teeth other than having two wisdom teeth removed a couple months ago. Seems the removal gave indication of a crack in the tooth and now I have an annuity with the dentist. I have to go back to get my permanent crown, with a check for 475 bucks.

This has been a year of pain and I am not happy about it. The wisdom teeth, the knee, the crown. The cross season will be a walk in the park.

By the way, I elected to receive Nitrous Oxide as part of the experience, not the right choice. Not only did I not feel the "fun" from breathing the gas, I did not have enough oxygen while breathing it and about five minutes in I found myself ripping the nose mask off and gasping for breath; a pounding ringing in my ears and chest. Freaked me out. It was like I was back in Colorado climbing a fire road, Little Buddy turning back and laughing at me, saying: "you slow bastard, you're not going to make it are you?".

I told the responding squad of nurses and hygienists that that was what it felt like, climbing a mountain and not getting my breath, Little Buddy, the summit.... and....they just turned their heads and looked at me strangely, assuming that I was all %$#@ up. Which I was not.

Truth was, the dental assistant was on the phone with Easter Seals, her son was handicapped and I was keeping her from picking him up in his wheelchair, it had begun to rain, and she was concerned and needed to find out what she should do. It was taking a little longer on me, her last patient of the day. I was thinking: "Out they should all come for causing a display like that". I would have let her go right then to pick up her child had I known, but I wasn't done smelling the grinding of hardened protein.

I will never forget a couple things. First, the smell the ground tooth. It is like taking a bic lighter to a clump of hair. It curls up real fast and smells like, burnt hair. There is a similarity, the smell of burnt hair and ground tooth. When I smell this I think of death, dried blood, pain. Why would anyone let another person do this to another. I can see why the Nazi's used this type of process, tooth drilling. I would rather be shot than be tortured like that.

The other thing is the realization that the tooth will never be the same. After the grinding process, that which was the only thing the dentist actually did, the hygienist did virtually everything, I ran my tongue around what was left. It was a ground down stump of what used to be my God given flesh and blood. It was done, most of it. With me from childhood, my tooth was reduced to that which a metal cap would cover, temporarily, until the porcelain permanent cap comes in a few weeks. Sad.

So after two unsuccessful tries at a mold for the permanent cap, the third one was good to go, and I had to pee from the 2 hour ordeal. We all hugged, the staff and I. Said "tootle-do" until the next time. "See you later", "mmbuh-bye".

How could any group of people be so happy after inflicting so much pain and/or discomfort. Beware the Dental Nazi's, those cute little hygienists shrouded by the colorful scrubs and white little tennis shoes. I watched my back on the way out the door. Even though I had what was considered a decent experience, overall.