Now I Understand

So I fully understand now why so many people hate going to the dentist. To be honest, I've had good dentists over the course of my life, and never really minded a trip -- even after a couple root canals and crowns... but now -- now I know.

First of all -- searching for a dentist. I called a few places... one woman I called freaked out. She answered the phone and became really excited that I called and wanted all my information right away. When I said I was still looking around, she got really upset saying that she "felt like [she] was failing me." No excuse I could give her would get her off the phone with me. She kept saying that celebrities came into the office all the time, and that she was the most convenient for me. She was freaking out! And then she dropped the bombshell -- that she was the only one working the office -- she was the receptionist, dental hygienist, and the dentist. Freaking loony. I had to lie and say that I would call her back in an hour (but she still penciled me in).

SO I finally choose a dentist. I took the bus down Santa Monica Blvd., fearing that the place would be a hole-in-the-wall shit-can place, so I was relieved to see it was at least in a UCLA affiliated medical office building.

When I got there, the receptionist was dressed in a slutty-short mini-dress with high heals, and she told me the dentist was running late on appointments. When I finally go to the dental seat and laye down, the bib was placed on me, but the hygienist came in and told me that the receptionist needed me... so I got up and walked over there (like they couldn't have just *asked* me how to spell me mom's name...)

The dentist was kind of crazy, but at least he had a dental degree from UCLA. He kept calling me every variation of a nickname off of my name possible. Any work that was done (4 fillings and a cleaning -- it's genetic, don't judge me), was done in 4 minute periods of time... and then I would just sit there alone for 15 minutes without any explanation as to what was going on.

When I finally got out of there 2 hours later, I heard a woman screaming from a room behind me yelling about how she was being treated.

It was a very odd time.

Oh. And instead of a simple mouth-numbing, the whole left side of my face was numbed (including behind me ear). It was interesting indeed. I'm not sure if I'll go back here... although they did do a pretty good job as far as I can tell.