On Tuesday, February 3, I went to the dentist and he informed me of something I didn't want to hear. I needed to have a tooth pulled because it was beyond the dreaded root canal stage. It was infected and on the verge of being abscessed and throbbing. He suggested an oral surgeon. I spent the following Friday, worrying and fearing the procedure. The business card was for Dr. Johnson and Dr. Lander. Since Dr. Johnson was the main doctor I figured he would be best. I prayed about it and got depressed (like I usually do in such situations)for a couple of days.

The oral surgeon appointment was at 6:45 am this past Friday. Danny and I were in the consultation room waiting for the Doctor. I looked around the room. It was Dr. Lander's room. There were several books of dentistry on the shelves. There were a few skulls, a picture three young boys and something else that really caught my eye. It was a small plaque sitting on the bookshelf. Dr. Lander was being recognized for 25 years of service. Okay, this was comforting.
When he came in he wore a long white jacket and had light hair like the three boys in the picture. He was upbeat and friendly. He looked at the X-ray and quickly noticed all the details. After I asked if the tooth could be saved one final time, he recommended that it be pulled. Then he told me all the details about recovery. I liked the part when he told I must take it easy for the rest of the day doing things like reading and sleeping. He even told me how he got a root canal when he was in dental college and then had to have that tooth pulled. He made me feel calm not nervous.

Then I was taken to the dental room. The assistant gave me laughing gas. I would also get anesthesia. I used to get laughing gas when I would get my braces worked on. I had forgotten how nice it was! After breathing it for about 30 seconds I wanted to burst out laughing. But I still had enough control of myself to make sure I didn't look like an idiot. So I held back. I started thinking about my friend Stacy. She said when she got laughing gas she would get violent. And she actually had harmed a dentist once. When she went back to him again they had realized she had had an allergic reaction. They marked her folder with a obviously bright red sticker after that.

I then realized I might as well breath in a bunch of this stuff and just let it make me as relaxed as a well worn Raggedy Ann doll. So I did. Then Dr. Lander came in and began some casual chat. When he came near me I touched his arm and told him he was a nice man. He thanked me and then gave me a shot to knock me out. Then I woke up and Danny was helping me out of the chair. I said something like, when are they going to get started and Danny said they were finished. Then we left and since we were in Tulsa in the early morning we went to Krispy Kreme Donuts.

It sure was easier than I thought it would be. I miss my tooth but they said if I was going to lose one that would be a good one to loose. Danny told me like he usually does in a dreaded situation like this to not worry about it and like usual I only halfway take his advice. But it really wasn't as bad as I had imagined.