The Dentist

Would that I could do a hysterically funny monologue about the dentist, like Bill Cosby's from years ago.  This won't be that, but sitting in the dentist chair definitely does give a person a lot to think about.  I mean, there you are, fairly well incapacitated, mouth open in ways it never otherwise would be, drool either drooling down or half-choking you.  And you're there for the duration, however long that is, until that part is over and you come to the part when the dentist asks you about all the the things you should be doing but aren't.  If you're brushing just once a day, why aren't you brushing twice?  And if you are faithfully brushing twice every day, why aren't you brushing after you eat lunch?  And have you kept up with the flossing?  Oh, and you really should come see us every six months.

No offense to dentists.  Really.  It's just that, when you go to the dentist, it always seems as though whatever you've managed to do just isn't enough.  Which is particularly debilitating when you're between jobs AND you're a mom and you ALREADY feel as though what you're doing is never enough.  If you learn three computer programs people seem to want, you then find out there are two others you're expected to know.  If you've faithfully updated your LinkedIn, you find out that people are really viewing you on MediaMatch.  And if you give Child One ten dollars for the book fair, you'll be hearing about it if you give Child Two any less.

Today, it turned out, the whole dialogue about brushing more and flossing was all in my head.  The only thing I was asked was why it had been close to a year since my last visit, so I guess I got off easy.  And, as usual, I will try to do better between now and the next visit.  And I will also try to applaud the things I have done, tooth-wise and otherwise, rather than beating myself up for the ones I haven't.  Things are going to fall through the cracks (and with teeth, maybe that means I'm flossing enough!). And in the end, the efforts that I make will matter, even if I can't get to all of them.

And even if I have a full-time job come six months from now, I will make time to get to the dentist.  Really.  I promise.