I find going to the dentist to be almost relaxing. Maybe that is quite the right word for it. Let me explain.

Once I am in the chair and the dentist is in the room, I fold my hands across my stomach, with the fingers interlaced, and close my eyes. As long as I don't see the needle going into my mouth I am fine. Once I am numbed up, the rest is easy for me.

I had a root canal done today. At least the first part of it, and I think that I dozed off near the end. So, maybe relaxing is the right word after all.

Another thing that I find interesting about the Dentist is how oddly sensory it is. Like I said, I close my eyes so vision is gone. And the dentist numbs your mouth pretty well, so most touch is gone as well. Our dentist uses the rubber dams to keep stuff from getting into the tooth he is working on, but it also keeps his work from getting into your mouth, so taste is gone too.

This leaves only hearing and smell.

The smell of getting dental work done. It's impossible to describe the exact smell of hot tooth as the dentist drills, but I find it very distinctive. It's an interesting smell that reminds me of where I am. Hearing the drill whir and smelling the smell of teeth getting heated from the friction is a powerful memory of my dentist visits.

However, even though I can relax during it, I'd still much rather not have to go to the dentist for fillings and such. Just regular cleanings and check-ups.