Relax

and Open Wide My eyes darted back and forth between a wall clock and a sleek metal door knob. Shifting nervously in my chair I dreaded the inevitable. A collection of random magazines lay sprawled across a coffee table, and feebly I selected one in an attempt to ease my troubled mind. I noticed the tattered, out of date pages were bent and wrinkleda clear indication that this magazine was once the victim of a distraught patient such as me. Moments later, an overzealous dental assistant with clipboard in hand appeared from behind a heavy door and gestured for me to follow her. My heart began to race as I obediently followed her squeaky white shoes down a rather long narrow hallway. I thought to myself, this must be what it feels like to walk the plank. She ushered me into an isolated examination room towards the rear of the office, and its location seemed appropriate making it nearly impossible for any kind of quick escape. As the dental assistant led me to the chair, I was forced to endure sounds of electricity zapping in cacophonyechoing perpetually in my mind. She began to ask me a few questions, but I was transfixed by the spider-like arms of the x-ray machine. She told me to take a seat as she snapped a pair of pale yellow gloves over her slender hands. The sense of the unknown created a crucial need for the little hairs upon my arms to stand at attention. She wore a facial mask that covered the majority of her face, her eyes were shielded by thick protective glasses, and her Mickey Mouse scrubs seemed out of place. Who was she trying to kid? This was not the the happiest place on earth! As I laid there comptemplating my impending doom, I could hear faint whimpers and muffled groans resounding from down the hall.

 Im going to recline you now she said triumphantly as my body stiffened for the slow ride backwards. As I reached my final destination, an array of metal instruments to my right greeted me with stark condescension and I quickly realized that these miniature spears would soon be poking and prodding within my mouth. The smell of cherry fluoride was overwhelming and made me cringe; this brought back childhood memories of my downing spoonfuls of cherry flavored cough syrup against my will. My thoughts were quickly interrupted as the dental assistant said, The doctor will see you now. I took a big gulp as he glided through the door. He had dark brown, wavy hair and when he smiled you couldnt help but notice the slight dimples in his cheeks. His most impeccable attribute, though, were his incredibly white and straight teeth. He didnt look dangerous; however I cleverly remembered that outward appearances are not exempt from deceptive qualities. His presence was powerful. He muttered, Hello, now let me see that Hollywood smile. I barely managed a faint smile before he whirled towards me holding a miniature mirror and probe. He then proceeded to say, Relax, and open wide. Wait, what? He forgot the this wont hurt a bit part! My eyes widened as his hands steadily approached my mouth, and fearful of every move I followed his instructions. I hadnt a clue as to what he would find, but the multitude of hmm mmms procured a sense of dread within. I tried to mumble a question here and there but my words rendered incoherent. I clenched my fists in anticipation as I made promises to myself that I would brush and floss even more if sparred just this one timeanything to avoid the drill.

Suddenly and quite unexpectedly he removed the probe from my mouth announcing the culprit as he raised his probe in triumph! He went on to explain that it was the shell of a popcorn kernel that had become lodged beneath the gum line that was causing my tooth pain. Relieved, I couldnt contain my smiles. I beamed because in that moment he became my hero, my rescuer, my dentist.