Ashamed. No, really...VERY ashamed

So, I may have mentioned that we found a new dentist about a year ago.  This after realizing our old one was just awful.  Apparently a truly GOOD dentist?  Not as common as one might hope.  But anyway we love Dr. H.  We have spent crazy money this past year for Dr. H to fix the crappy dentist crappy work.  And Dr. H loves...apparently my husband.  He goes on and on about what a perfect patient Bruce is.  How he holds as still as a statue for hours on end and never complains....I was feeling some competitive pressure here.  I mean, geez.  

But anyway, I have had some crowns done and a bridge done in the past.  Granted it's been a long time, but I have been through the process and survived just fine.  Yesterday I was scheduled to get 2 crowns done.  And I don't know what happened.  I might have been the worst patient ever.  Everything he did made me have this reflex gag that I could not seem to control.  It took him 3 tries to get impressions made.  I gagged and moved and it ruined the first 2 attempts.  Then the X-rays.  More gagging, more moving, and several attempts before they could get a decent picture.  Oh my Lord I was horrified, mortified, and frustrated.  I have never had that happen.  But if anything touched my tongue, or the roof of my mouth it all spun out of my control!  They finally got the impressions and X-ray, but by that time Dr. H made an executive decision....he only did 1 crown yesterday and sent me home with a Valium prescription to take before the next appointment.  Which I will in hope that it helps.  

The way that we finally got this done was Dr. H finally told me that sometimes holding your left foot in the air and concentrating on rotating your ankle slowly helps.  I am sure it looked silly but it worked enough that we finally were able to get the 1 crown prep work done.  I was fine after that.  I didn't flinch or have any problems at all once he started the drilling part of it.  I even made it through the final impressions where the tray of goo has to stay in your mouth for 3-4 minutes just fine.   All my shame happened at the beginning of the appointment.  But seriously?  If he had tried to do both crowns at once, we may still be back there trying.....

Next time?  Valium!  I hope it helps!