I went to see Dr. Eggleston in Turlock last week who may be the most skilled and PAIN FREE dentist who’s ever treated me. That said, they say that the anticipation of something scary is often worse than the thing itself. I can attest to this. When I’m being given a shot of Novacaine in my mouth or my dentist is ready to dig in I usually close my eyes so I can’t see what’s coming. I’m a veteran of so many dental procedures (root canals, extractions etc.) that my fear of pain is about as low as it can be but it wasn’t always that way. At some point fear turned into acceptance and I learned to breathe deeply while I’m being stuck, pulled on and drilled. Believe it or not, it does help and until they create the dental epidural, I’ll keep doing it!

Problem is, my “bravery” at the dentist, if you want to call it that, is predicated on the specific rules I’ve laid out for myself above. Then like an idiot I decide to snap this photo of myself. If only I had the sense NOT to look at the picture before I received the anesthetic! Fortunately, as I said, Dr. Eggleston is pretty good at making it as painless as possible.

*Dr. Eggleston is getting me ready for implants and this was an extraction to remove a tooth and prep the bone for the new implant. Can’t wait for my new smile!