The Legoland Convention

Going to the dentist is quite a ridiculous experience. After 23 years of the annual check-up and teeth clean (okay, maybe only 19 years or so), it becomes almost routine. Sitting in the chair with a bib around your neck, opening up your mouth and manouvering your tongue to avoid the scraper and mirror they use to scrape away plaque, feeling the buzz of the toothbrush and trying not to swallow whatever it is that is in your mouth, letting the dentist actually inspect your mouth and ask if you've been flossing and brushing, and finally...the flouride rinse. When you think about it, it's kind of absurd. I mean, I understand why we do it, but it seems like such a bizarre thing. What makes it good is the kind of dentist you have. When I was little I had such a nice dentist. He posted pictures of pretty places on the ceiling so that as you lay there you could look at them and imagine you were there instead of sitting in a dentist's office.
My dentist now, he's pretty cool too. He always compliments me on my smile and shows it off to whoever is around. That is amusing. Today I told him about graduating and possible opportunities I have after school. He proceeded to plan out my life for me and tell me why this particular job opportunity was so great and why I should do it. That was nice. But the best part came next. He was inspecting the bridge I have where I have a fake tooth. And I had mentioned something about having a boyfriend. So he asked me if my boyfriend had noticed how nice the bridge was. I kind of mumbled something (which is about all you can do when the dentist is talking to you). And then he went on to tell me that he didn't mind my boyfriend taking a "closer inspection" of the bridge in my mouth, but that I was not allowed to let anyone else get too close of a look at the inner workings of my mouth. It was sooooo funny! If I hadn't been sitting in the chair, trying not to drool, I would have laughed and laughed. Who says that? And then when I was about to leave he told me that I should bring my boyfriend in sometime to meet everyone in the office. How great is that? He's a 40 year old man with 3 kids. It just struck me as the kind of experience that has to be shared. How many dentists are that entertaining?