My Dentistry through the Ages

My first dental memory is of proudly announcing that I was going to the dentist. However, pride soon turned to fear. Two girls, (much older than I) took it upon themselves to tell me the truth about dentists. All the pulling, needles, drilling, scraping and pain. So on my first trip to the dentist I began to have hysterics before I even opened my mouth. It worked. The dentist gave up and told my mother to go to a childrens dentist. The childrens dentist told me right off if I didn't behave I would get something much worse than dentistry. He was short, chubby and had a thick accent. I always think of him as Dr. "speet eet out".
I think I didn't go to the dentist again for a LONG time. After that I was old enough to go by myself. I think my dentist had a drinking problem or some very peculiar smelling mouth wash. I saw him a lot. I always managed to make my appointments just before something wonderful happened. My Birthday, a trip to the, ballet Christmas etc. That way I would be rewarded for my trip to the drilling man. The mystery was why after a trip to the dentist I had bloody sores on my leg. I used to dig my fingernails into my leg on the weird theory that if I could make it hurt enough I wouldn't mind the drill, Stupid! I should mention that at thie time I had begun my eight years of orthodonture which wasn't so bad except for the impressions. One had to stick ones mouth into a tray of tray of gooey gray cement and sit without moving for 20 minutes. GAG
So eventually I went to away to college. I arrived with 21 cavities. Or so the dentist said. My father believed he was a crook. He drilled and I suffered. Would this ever get better ? I graduated and came home to have my wisdom teeth out. I had them out one at a time sitting in the dentist chair. Ouch. then I had gum surgery. MY dentist was French. I understand he was a very important person and a leader in the French community and sometimes had his name in the society section of the newspaper. Needles had not improved and I truly believe he just didn't like me. Or possibly felt, in real life, he was above digging about in people's mouths.
My next dentist was a man who had grown up almost next door to me. He was very kind and hated to hurt me. Howver, he had huge hairy hands and to see him you might suupose he did all his dentisry manually, In order to work he practiced the "headlock" pulling your head over on his soft belly. After many years he retired and I have a new dentist . She is young, perky and very fast and has ALL kinds of new weapons of destruction. Almost painless but a lot more expensive than Dr. Speet eet out" And I still have almost all my teeth.

-Louise