Pop

All my life I’ve had weird dreams about teeth. Usually it involves my teeth just popping out like nobody’s business. Pop. Out they fly. I’ve read on the meaning of dream sites that losing your teeth means that someone close to you is going to die. But I don’t believe that because if there was a direct correlation between my dream teeth popping out and family members dying, I would be so very alone in this world right now.

Which I’m not.

Anyways, because of these dreams and because of my mother’s horrific dislocating jaw whilst getting her wisdom teeth pulled, I have never wanted to have any teeth pulled. My old dentist told me I didn’t need to have them pulled and I clung to that belief for years. Course, he also put huge ugly veneers on the front of my teeth, so what did he know? I went to my mom’s dentist a few years ago, and he was so gung ho to get my wisdom teeth pulled out he wanted to make an appointment right away.

Me: I can’t. I’m moving to Japan.

Dentist: Well, maybe we can fit you in tomorrow.

Me: I’m moving to Japan tomorrow.

He looked at me skeptically. Probably he had heard every excuse under the sun and figured that this was just that. But it was the truth. I boarded a plane to Japan the very next day. And with all my teeth intact.

In Japan, I had dental. However, if you have ever seen the state of some Japanese people’s teeth, you would understand why I never used my dental. That is a country seriously in need of braces. The whole country. They should just round them up and install mandatory braces on each and every one of them. And teach the children how to brush. I’ve never seen so many black teeth on 5 year olds before. Yick.

So I came home and got myself a job that had dental. I finally hauled myself to the dentist’s office (that first day he removed my ugly and cracked veneers, so basically I love him now). And low and behold, he wanted to take out my wisdom teeth. Sure, there were good reasons, impacting, infection, blah, blah, blah. Then he said the magic words “what if something happens while you are in school and you aren’t covered?” Me, in all my cheap glory, panicked a little at that thought. I told him that I had 3 weeks left on my dental before I quit my good job and if he could do it before then, well, have at her.

Turns out he had time.

Since I didn’t have to miss any days of work, we decided to do one at a time. It’s easier on the body, you can still eat and you heal faster. Good idea. So one Thursday afternoon I made my way to the dentist’s office. He pumped me full of freeze. The feel of the needle going into my gums sent me into a total panic. I had to seriously focus and get my breathing back to normal. Dr. McAnn said I was quite white in the face. Me. Who has 3 tattoos, freaking from a freezing needle.

After I was numb, Dr. McAnn leaned over me. I figured he was putting more freezing in. Then he kind of rocked something a little and then he was asking for the forcept and pulling out my tooth. Shocking how easy it came out. I wasn’t even swollen.

The next week I went back for the other side. Got my freezing done and kept myself much calmer this time.

Dr. McAnn tried to sit down and pop my tooth out, however, the angle wasn’t good.

So he stood up, leaned over me, braced and

POP.

There went my tooth. Flying over my head and across the dental office. FLYING!

The assistant picked it up and offered it to me to take home. Ew.

So after years of dreaming that my teeth just pop out, it turns out, that my teeth do in fact, just… pop…. out.

S.