Dentists

Is there a single human being alive who likes going to the dentist?

No. Really. Is there?

It almost goes without saying that I dislike it. A lot.

Which leads to a vicious circle.

I dislike going to the dentist, so I don't go.

Because I don't go, my teeth don't get the care they need.

Because my teeth don't get their necessary care, I develop cavities.

Because I have cavities, my visit to the dentist is particularly unpleasant.

Because all of my dental visits are so very unpleasant, I ... don't go to the dentist.

At this point, it's been over a decade since I regularly visited a dentist. I finally went back a few weeks ago, and (no surprise), I have cavities. And a filling in need of repair. And my teeth need "deep cleaning."

"Deep Cleaning," by the way, is a dentist term meaning "Gum Torture with Metal Things and High-Pressure Water."

It leaves me bleeding and in pain.

I'm not helped by my natural resistance to Novocaine. The stuff wears off much faster than it should. By a lot. To the point where my last dentist brought in a new syringe every fifteen minutes or so. And I still learned to deal with the pain.

My current dentist uses nitrous in addition to Novocaine. It helps, but I feel like I'm falling. Just continuously. It's not a pleasant feeling.

The scary part for me, however, is the work. I can't see what they're doing. You can't watch them, other than via reflection in their glasses or goggles (if any).  I realize that it's so we don't freak out at the sight of blood in our mouths, but it's still really scary.

It just leads to an experience that I'd much rather avoid.