Seriously, I really do. Our dentist, Dr. Landsman in Ocean Pines, has the best motto of any dentist anywhere: “All Gentle Dental.” Now that’s what I’m talking about.
Carolyn and I joke about how if we ever get too down on ourselves, all we have to do is go to the dentist. Dr. Landsman is always so cheerful and optimistic. “Chipper” is the word that comes to mind. He goes on about how beautiful our teeth are and what great patients we are. We always leave there feeling very positive about ourselves!
Dr. Landsman gets the job done, too. My previous dentist saw that I still had a wisdom tooth, so she was going to send me to an oral surgeon. Then I switched to Dr. Landsman, and my first visit there, he asked if I wanted the wisdom tooth to come out. I said yeah, sure. He snapped on a pair of gloves. That’s when I realized he meant, “Do you want the wisdom tooth to come out… right now.” Sure enough, a few minutes later it was all done. I like a dentist that doesn’t mess around.
To top it all off, his staff is always so courteous, warm, and professional. Yesterday one of his assistants said that Carolyn and I are a “cute couple.” Usually people think I’m Carolyn’s dad, so that was quite a compliment.
Yesterday when I went to the dentist I saw a dental product in its box, and its little promotional blurb boasted that it helps you “fight plaque and calculus.” What a Nobel-deserving invention! However, it turns out that “calculus” is just the proper dental word for tartar. That wasn’t quite as exciting. Now if they would only come out with something that helps you fight algebra–now there’s something I could have used in high school.
But one of my very favorite reasons for going to the dentist is that they always seem to ask me the funniest questions. Yesterday the dental technician asked: “Do you smoke?” Um… that would be a negative. Apparently drinking coffee and smoking can have the same appearance to the dentist. Good thing I only engage in one of those vices. Another time the technician asked: “Do you floss?” That one wouldn’t be so bad except that I’ve been a daily flosser for years. I was tempted to tell her that I used to floss, but wouldn’t anymore if it didn’t make any difference!
The best one, though, came my first visit. After looking at the X-rays they’d just taken of my mouth, the technician asked me: “Have you ever taken a severe blow to the face?” No kidding–that’s a direct quote.
But don’t worry, Dr. Landsman came out and rebuilt my self-esteem, and I left–as always–cheerfully whistling through my clean, shiny teeth.
