The Dentist

I think I've finally found a dentist that I like down here in AZ. I never realized how picky I was when it came to dental work until I moved away from Idaho and had to try and find a new dentist. I like to think I've earned the right to be picky though with the trauma my teeth have been through, but in any case, I'm glad this one was better than the other two I've been to since I moved down here. It'd been a while since I'd gone so I ended up having two cavities filled and despite the throbbing pain lingering in my jaw at the moment, I am grateful for a few things:
1. I'm grateful I still have all my teeth and that most of them still have working nerves inside of them.
2. I'm grateful that the ones without working nerves (the poor little ones up front that got banged around by playgrounds and knees years ago) haven't discolored and still look pretty even if they have no sensitivity to hot, cold or painful stimuli.
3. I'm grateful my teeth are straight thanks to lots of money spent on braces.
4. I'm grateful that I don't have anxiety or fear of going to the dentist despite many uncomfortable experiences in the dental chair over the years.
5. I'm grateful I have dental insurance that pays for a good portion of my bill and that I have a steady income to be able to pay the rest.
6. And perhaps most importantly, I'm grateful that I know the uncomfortable soreness currently overtaking the right side of my face will be gone shortly, and that I can go back in six months to a dentist I actually like and trust with my pearly whites.