8 Reasons I Love My Dentist

Even though yesterday was technically a Wednesday, it felt like a Monday.

First thing in the morning, my dentist's office calls to tell me my normal hygenist was out sick for the day.  I ask if there's anything else open that day.  After realizing I took the day off for the appointment, she said she'd cancel their other 8:30 and I'd just see a different hygenist.  (Reason #2 I love my dentist.  Reason #1 was the receptionist reccomending I get ortho wax to cover me until I could get the retainer fixed.)

I left a few minutes later than I would have liked, and this was compounded by seeing the flattest tire I had ever seen in my life on my car.  Now, I had been filling it with air every other day for about 3 weeks, but I could feel the pull as I went the 5 blocks to the gas station to fill 'er up.  (I had planned on getting it fixed that day, anyway.)  I'm surprised I didn't do any damage to the rim.

The dentist always relaxes me.  (Reason #3 I love my dentist is the genuinely cheerful atmosphere.)  Something about those chairs...seriously, if I ever fall into a money pit, I'm buying one for myself.  It'd be perfect for light therapy.  I had a cavity and my permanent retainer was so bent that they decided to take it off and fit me for removable one.  I honestly have no idea how, but they had room for me at 10:40.

Which gave me exactly enough time to go 2 miles down the road to the tire store.  I initially planned to just get the one fixed and give myself time to do more research, but once the guy told me they were having a Buy 3, Get 1 Free sale, I realized buying one new tire is dumb.  Especially since I knew I'd have to get new ones before my 1200-mile round trip in August, anyway.  So I got the 4 of them, and learned it was a good choice as they come with lifetime warranty and free alignment and rotation for the life of the tire.

When they came back to get me, they showed me the alignment report, which I knew I had jacked up over the past few weeks.  The guy said they could give me a temporary fix that was $60 or a permanant one that was $80.  He showed them to me on the sheet, but I had 20 minutes to get back to my chair, so I asked how long the better one would take.  He initially said 15, but when he saw me look at the clock, he changed it to 10.  (Which is probably all it takes any time, but I guess he uses the same logic I use with things like that: coming in under an overestimate is far better than taking longer on an underestimate.) 

He delivered, and I honestly don't remember even sitting down in the waiting room at the dentist.  That's how impeccable the timing was.  They took me back and explained they were going to start with the local anesthetic (which is always the most painful part) and then take the glue off the back of my teeth before making the impressions for my retainer mold.  (Reason #4 I love my dentist: efficiency via multitasking).

While the dentist was still removing the glue, another hygenist came over to get the one working on me because there was a phone call from the junior high her son attends.  Essentially, the kid got mixed up gossiping with one of his friends about another classmate who had been suspended for terroristic threats.  They were passing notes back and forth about what the kid said to get suspended, and he put his Spanish assignment on the other side of it.  So teacher saw it and a little havoc was wreaked.  (Reason #5 I love my dentist: they are encouraging of putting family first; my dentist showed nothing but concern when the hygenist came back to help with the cavity.  Reason #6 I love my dentist: they raise good kids, according to the principal of the junior high and other conversations I've observed from the chair.) 

As the replacement hygenist mixed the solution for my mold, she commented that the process hadn't changed in the 30 years she had been doing it.  (Reason #7 I love my dentist: experienced staff.)  When the receptionist was working with me to schedule a time to come back in a couple of weeks to get the retainer and make sure it fit, I immediately suggested a day I already have off, which happened to be a Friday.  Unfortunately, they couldn't do that as the office is closed on Fridays because the dentist makes visits to patients in nursing homes on Fridays.  (Reason #8 I love my dentist.)