Over time I have developed, deservedly or not, a bit of a reputation for being able to deal with almost anything and get things done but, until last summer, dentists have been my undoing. The prospects of a visit to a dentist left me a frantic, sweaty mess for days on end and a blithering idiot on the day of the appointment. Fortunately, my teeth are strong and have survived my fear-generated neglect intact (mostly, as you'll soon see). My teeth are destined to remain in my mouth for a long time to come thanks to Dr. Meola.
As it happened last summer, I took a rather spectacular swan dive in my shower, succeeding in breaking off a front tooth almost to the gumline and putting a respectable hole in my lower lip. Lest you think otherwise, I don't recommend trying this. It's nasty. It's messy, stressful, and expensive no matter your insurance plan. In any case, I found myself plowing through the Yellow Pages at 10:30 that summer night, earnestly believing that my dental dawdling had finally caught up with me. Not only was I in trouble, but I was already imagining the well-deserved reprimands I would receive for not flossing after even thinking about eating. Finally, Dr. Meola's ad caught my eye. Painless. Best of Boston. "This is going to wreck me financially, " I thought to myself, "but here we go...."
The next day found me in the dentist's chair suffering a major case of lockjaw with Dr. Meola looking at me with undisguised yet sympathetic frustration. "I can't work on you like this," he said. The gentle reader should note that I really couldn't open my mouth, much as I knew I had to. "I want you to go get this valium prescription filled, take the pill, immediately call a cab for noon, and come back then."
So I did. High as a kite, I returned to Dr. Meola's office and not only was I able to open-wide but with the help of a little nitrous oxide I proceeded to discuss the profitability of allowing the patient to select the color of a temporary cap. My personal choice was purple though, needless to say, I did not get it. I still think there's some possibility to this idea, have fun with the trauma and all that, but now count my blessings that Dr. Meola refused to honor my request for a gold permanent tooth in spite of my time-warn fetish for the same.
Since then, I have returned to Dr. Meola's office for routine maintenance and am proud to say that, while I still sweat, I can get through the regular visits drug-free and without losing my mind. At this point we joke about my extreme aversion to the sound of drills and polishing tools even when they're in the next room, but the joking never makes fun of my fears.
During a recent appointment I duely informed Dr. Meola that he is forbidden
to retire until I am dead, and that says it all. I recommend this man and
his staff without reservation. In my humblest opinion, they do everything
right.
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