i want to be a dentist!

Not really. Not even close. But the big girls and I did have dental appointments today. Oh, the holiday joy!

Some of my earliest memories are connected to the dentist, though. I have very cavity-prone teeth and I seem to manufacture plaque at an alarming rate. (Aren't you glad you're reading?) So I had to go to the dentist for fillings before I was 3. My mom had no idea there was such a thing as a pediatric dentist, however. So she took me to Dr. Mario, who was sweet and charming and my best friend -- in the waiting room. In the examining room was another story.

I had to be sedated when I had a tooth filled. My mom said she gave me a portion of a Valium at bedtime and then some more an hour before my appointment. And I wasn't thrilled with not eating, but I wasn't supposed to. So I was a groggy, hungry toddler. Whee!

The memory I have is being in the chair and Dr. Mario putting the Novocaine needle in my mouth. Which I bit down on and wouldn't stop. They were afraid I'd break it off in my mouth and kept saying, "Open, Cay. Open up so we can take the shot out." But I recall thinking with my 3 year old brain, "If I open my mouth, they will stick me with that needle. And that hurts. I'm not going to do that." Then they brought my mom back to convince me to open my mouth.

That was the last time I saw Dr. Mario as a patient. He recommended a pediatric dentist who made everything a lot easier. No Valium, no Novocaine. I began to like going to the dentist -- even though I seemed to have a cavity every visit.

Do my girls go to a pediatric dentist? Nah. They don't seem to be as cavity-prone as I am, for one. Our family dentist seems really comfortable with kids and the girls love him and the staff. Being the Bay Area, he's all high tech and has a camera and takes their pictures with a little mini-camera and then prints it out. (Also, if he does work of any length -- like a filling or root planing -- he has cool goggles so you can watch a movie while he works!) The only negative thing for them, dental-wise, is the fact that the twins will most likely need braces. Our dentist has told me this every visit since they were 2. I suppose so it won't be a surprise.

I have lots of experience with the orthodontist, too. Oh, the stories I could tell. But I won't.

At least, not today.