An Apple a Day...

...might keep the doctor away, but what about that darn dentist? And why does it seem that no matter how often and well you brush and floss your teeth, dentist appointments are still so unpleasant. I brush twice a day for a full two minutes and floss every night, yet at my last cleaning I had to endure a 45 minute teeth scraping marathon. I kid you not, 45 minutes, and the dental hygienist said my teeth and gums looked good! She took so long I actually started to fall asleep at the end.

Well, having to go to the dentist every six months is bad enough, but now that I've got two kids, I get to drag them into the dentist two times a year too. The good part is that Daniel and Sammy are the only two people I know who actually like going to the dentist. They are great patients. The hygienists always rave about how well they behave while getting x-rayed and their teeth cleaned. They never cry, complain or squirm. And of course they love getting to pick out a toy at the end. Although the boys enjoy a trip to the dentist, Dan and I dread it. Daniel's first visit to the dentist over a year ago is still too fresh in our minds.

Last year we had to take Daniel to see the dentist because of a tooth that was bothering him. Dan and I did not think it was a big deal, but it turned out that Daniel had cracked a tooth and it had abscessed. The tooth had to be pulled and Daniel also had some small cavities that the dentist wanted to fill. Well, the whole experience was very traumatic for Dan and I, thankfully not for Daniel, and we still have not recovered. Even though we have become overly obsessive about brushing and flossing the boy's teeth, we still worry that the dentist will have some bad news every time we go.

Today both Daniel and Sammy went to the dentist. Once again they were perfect, but I am pretty sure Dan and my blood pressure was up a notch until the dentist poked around in each of the boy's mouth and declared all looked well.

Maybe after we've got a dozen or so dental appointments under our belt those old wounds will heal. But I doubt that going to the dentist will ever be an event I will look forward to. If only there were something we could eat that would keep the dentist away.