You are a very nice guy. Of all the dentists I have gone to, your office is the most comfortable. Whether it is your always pleasant staff or the genuine warmth that you show when you great your patients you make my least favorite place bearable.

You are always efficient, dare I say speedy when you need to drill or perform some other unpleasant procedure. I get the sense that you know its an uncomfortable situation and you wish to make it as fast and painless for me and your other patients.

That was, until Wednesday.

You started with a Novocaine shot as usual and then the humming began. You always hum to the Muzak that plays in your office. Usually no big deal, I have even heard you whistle a few times.

I don’t recall if this song was playing at the time or if it was just a tune you may have heard a few moments earlier but when a man in a mask is 2 inches from your face humming “Feel like making love” I tend to freak out. There are many things that will start the launch sequence on one of my freak outs and I thought I was aware off all of them.

You found a new one.

After a few seconds the humming subsided and I felt a bit more calm. That’s when the whistling started.  I was hopped up on Novocain and full of the usual phobias that come with people poking the nerves in my mouth. My head was swirling as clouds of tooth dust flew past me and all of these strange dental instruments were going in and out of my field of vision.

As soon as it started it stopped.

You told me I was done and would be numb for a bit and I should  schedule my next appointment with the young lady at the desk. On the way to front desk I stopped in the restroom to collect myself before facing your secretary. I splashed water on my face and washed my hands and as I looked for a paper towel your saving grace appeared.

Cloth towels! Dozens of them, all neatly packed into wicker gift basket adjacent to the sink. I looked around for a paper towel as these are almost certainly for decoration. None, nada! This was it. These are for customers.

Dear reader, do you know the trouble one has to go through to refill a basket like this?

So Mr. Dentist I doff my cap to you! You are a goodly fellow well met and have repaired any damage you might have done with your humming.

I’ll see you on the 15th at 10:30.