Friday, March 30, 2007

The Joy of Modern Dentistry

Remember in the movie, Father of the Bride 2, when Steve Martin and Diane Keaton were pacing in the waiting room? Their recently married daughter was having her first baby their first grandchild. Pretty soon a pretty, young, female doctor came in to let them know that everything was going just fine. When the doctor left, Steve worried how everything could be fine. He turned to his wife and said, “…did you see her name tag? It said Tiffany!”

I was too loopy to blog about it, but I had four teeth pulled Tuesday morning.

About a year ago, I discovered my dentist in a “What the…?” crisis tooth situation. When I met my dentist, I didn’t think twice; I just flang myself into the chair and opened my mouth. Now, I don’t let just anyone stick their fingers in my mouth, let alone stick Craftsman pliers in there and twist out my favorite teeth. But my dentist carefully and professionally guided me through a year’s worth of tender and delicate dental decisions. I can identify with Steve Martin. My pretty, young, female dentist’s name tag says Alison!

Alison! is younger than My Youngest Daughter, who’s quite a frisky sparkle herself. But Alison! is fully professional and intuitively talented. She enjoys her work. She has an easy smile that keeps me—and all her patients—at ease. She doesn’t wag her finger at us. She treats us with respect. I trust her. I let her stick her fingers and her pliers in my mouth, and she lets me call her "Doc."

Alison! is just as frisky, just as friendly, just as full of life and almost as beautiful as My Youngest Daughter. My Youngest Daughter makes me smile. And Alison! gave me my smile back. I love 'em both.

(Psst. Don't tell 'em I said that.)

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