These Chompers Don't Take Care of Themselves

I know this is going to sound really weird, but I love my dentist! I'm sure most of you out there know how hard it is to find a good dentist... especially one that isn't crazy. I've had my fair share of weirdo/crappy dentists so it was a relief to finally find one that does good work and is normal.

My first dentist was my most memorable. He looked like Gene Wilder (you know, completely insane). He was really creepy and none of us liked him much (my mom was so-so but somehow felt obligated to keep going to him). He had a mural on the wall... you know those naturey wallpaper murals? It was a scene with a marsh and ducks or something and a bunch of his patients had signed it with messages like, "You're the best dentist ever!" and "We love you Dr. X!" My sisters and I always wondered who these people were. My guess was the dentist wrote them all himself. We were all happy when he took a trip to practice dentistry in Africa for several months. We convinced Mom to find someone new. Sweet.

So the new dentist wasn't much better. I don't remember much of what he looked like except for the fact that he looked way less crazy than Dr. Gene Wilder. We thought this dentist would be way better because he had TVs installed above the chairs. Let me tell you the TVs weren't worth it. His work wasn't all that good and once he called me (or was it Annie?) a "cute little booger." Ew. Anybody who refers to me as a 'booger' is not my friend. I only ended up visiting this dentist a couple times because by that time in my life I was close to being old enough to have my own insurance and make my own appointments.

After crazy Dr. Boogerman I didn't go to the dentist for a few years. Call it laziness, call it stinginess, call it what you will. I was mainly pretty sure I'd have cavities and I was too poor to pay for them, so I just avoided the whole situation. Plus by this point I hated dentists. My teeth usually hurt more after I got them fixed so I figured I'd just wait until one started hurting before I went in because it would end up feeling the same anyway.

Once I moved out and got my own apartment I finally went back to the dentist. This time I had a referral for a dentist whose office was more of a "dental spa." Being a chick, I thought "cool! I love spas!" So I went. I liked him alright... not crazy or anything and the paraffin wax hand treatments and face massages were nice (except when they massaged my earlobes because it reminded me of that 'Friends' episode where Chandler's boss doesn't wash his hands when he goes to the bathroom and rubs Chandler's earlobe and thinking about it made me want to start laughing so I had to concentrate really hard on keeping a straight face). But ultimately this guy sucked. He filled a couple cavities for me and as I mentioned before, they ended up hurting me and giving me problems after I had them fixed. And I seriously had to come back to the office at least 3 times whenever he had to fix something. What a pain.

So I went searching for another dentist. Again. I asked this lady Linda that I worked with if she liked her dentist. She raved about him and gave me his info. I was a little skeptical but figured I'd give him a shot.

Dr. Brent Baker, that's his name. His office could use a bit of an update, but I can completely ignore that because he rocks. What happens if he finds something wrong with my teeth? BAM! I'm all numbed up and gassed and fixed in under an hour. And my teeth don't hurt after he fixes them. And he explains everything to me so I know what's going on. He also usually does a lot of the cleaning and such himself instead of having the hygienist do it. Also, he has the nicest receptionist in the world. Her name is Kim and she is the friendliest woman on the planet. It's like talking to my grandma. She always looks so happy to see me and always says goodbye when I leave... I almost expect her to run around the counter and give me a hug or something. She's done this every time I've gone in, even the very first visit.

So if you're in the market for a good dentist, look no further. Dr. Brent Baker is your man. Tell him I sent you and give Kim a hug for me.