Open Up and Say, "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

My heart was pumping. My pulse was racing. My palms were sweating. My gums were bleeding. I was at the dentist this morning.

I truly, truly do not mind the dentist. But in the past two years, every time I have gone, I have left with a follow-up appointment to have cavities filled. I blame my parents entirely. When we were younger, my entire Mom's side of the family went to her first cousin, who was a dentist. Now eventhough he had a treasure chest of toys to pick from when we were done, not one of my cousins or my siblings ever had cavities or needed braces or retainers. Miraculous. Italians must have exceptional teeth. (Sidenote: He never told us to floss, either.)

Lo and behold, as my Mom's cousin retired and we moved on to new dentists, we had a slew of problems. My one cousin has a mouth full of cavities, my other cousin has braces a month before her wedding, my sister had a bone extracted from her front gums that had only been seen in dental text books, and me.....well, I have cavities, too.

And now, at 26.5 years, I have to get my wisdom teeth out. In addition to going back in two weeks to have two cavities filled. GROSS. But I would rather this than dentures. Although dentures at 27 could be interesting. I could just get a full-blown grill!!

The hygenists, however, did tell me I was lucky because the oral surgeon is hot. Silver lining, anyone?