Squirming in the dentists chair after six years

Fear - it's such a crippling aspect of the human experience, and nowhere does its bite seem more vicious than in a dental office waiting room.
This week I felt helpless, alone and very afraid while nervously waiting to see a local dental expert. There was nothing particularly wrong with my teeth, but it had been some time since my last cleaning/check up and I was becoming paranoid of what might be growing in my mouth. I'm the type of guy who procrastinates medical whatnots.
Despite a complete lack of oral pain, I spent the week prior to my appointment sick with worry. I couldn't help but imagine the plethora of gingivitis and gapping cavity-hole issues the dentist might find.
Every night last week, I'd go to bed imagining some new and exotic reason why the dentist would have to pull out all my teeth and possibly remove my jaw.
According to local dentist Mike Prestie, there are several reasons one fears the dentist. Some fear the pain that might occur in the dentist's chair, while others (such as myself) fear the prospect of receiving some unhappy diagnosis.
"If something's wrong, they don't want to deal with it," he said about people like me, adding a fear of dentists might cause one to avoid making an appointment for many years, which makes the worry about finally going to the dentist that much worse. That's exactly what happened to me.
What shame I felt earlier this week, while sitting in the Ominica Dental waiting room and filling out the information sheet. When asked how long it had been since my last dentist appointment, I wrote it had been five years - a lie. In actuality, I hadn't sat in a dentist chair in over six years, but I was too embarrassed to let the professionals know of my complete oral irresponsibility.
After filling out the form, I continued to sit in the waiting room for what seemed like hours. In actuality, it was about five minutes. No doubt, because I was awkwardly stewing in my own fears and discomfort, the passage of time had slowed to a near halt, allowing me to "enjoy" every hellish second until that dreaded moment when the receptionist called my name.
I tried fumbling through a magazine, vainly attempting to look comfortable with my surroundings. I'm sure the nervous wrinkle on my brow spoke volumes of my actual state - terrified. What if the dentist found a cavity? What if the dentist found some bizarre form of tooth cancer? What if the dentist poked a soft spot and I screamed in a most prissy fashion?
According to Prestie, there are practical ways to avoid physical pain in the dentist's chair. For example, if one has pain in his or her mouth, he or she should tell the dentist before to the examination, so the dentist knows to be careful with the instruments.
He added recent medical advancements allow for teeth cleanings and other dental procedures that are more comfortable than was possible even a few years ago.
In Prestie's professional opinion, simply brushing thrice daily and regular flossing reduces the chances a dentist will find any major problems in one's mouth. He said it's also wise to see a dentist at least once a year, so minor issues never become severe.
In the end, it was my own regular brushing habits that saved me from pain or an unfortunate diagnosis. Aside from several years of plaque build-up, the dental assistant (while chipping the stained scum from my fangs) said I actually have a pretty nice smile. My fears were completely unnecessary.
For me, Prestie's best advice is simple: Stop procrastinating on dental appointments. He said the sooner one gets in that examination chair, the less time one actually spends fearing the experience.
I believe William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar said it best: "Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once."
I seem to die a lot.

Carter Haydu can be reached at 691-1265.