Dentist visit proves laughing gas no laughing matter

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I have always heard getting a tooth pulled is a nasty thing, but no one ever warned me about what happens afterwards.

I walked into the dentist’s office early one Friday morning prepared for pain, misery and the bubblegum flavored toothpaste they give you after every visit. My orthodontist required I remove two teeth to make space for the rest, but I rejected the idea with a burning passion. Unfortunately, my mother’s passion overrode my own, so I had no choice but to endure the agony that awaited me.

Before long, I found myself strapped to a chair with multiple people looking down at me. The lady with the nice hair smiled at me and explained they were going to give me some laughing gas to dull the inevitable pain. I allowed them to attach a strange device that looked a bit like a small rubber shirt to my nose. Almost immediately, I felt the gas take effect, but I had no idea how long it was going to last.

I was receiving strange looks because my top lip was stuck on my braces.

— Claire Meyer

Soon, my dentist arrived and the operation begins. It went faster than I expected; however, it was not any less painful than I imagined. The gas didn’t seem to dull the sharp pulling sensation that made my eyes water and my muscles clench.

My mother had left to run some errands, so after the procedure, I was left to my own devices until she returned. At the Children’s Dentistry of Amarillo, they have a “movie theater” set up in lobby for bored children and their parents. I found myself there, sitting among the glittering decorations and other, younger children. I didn’t realize it then, but the laughing gas was still in my system, and I was receiving strange looks because my top lip was stuck on my braces.  The cartoon playing on the large screen was “Teen Titans Go!,” a show I had sworn off after watching a single uninteresting episode. I found myself watching it anyway.

This is where things got out of hand. I spotted a tin of cookies, again another distraction for patients, and grabbed one before returning to my front row seat. I was just about to take a bite, when I remembered I was not allowed to eat for an hour or so. Now, in a normal situation, I would have handled my dilemma maturely. However, this was not a normal situation, so I began to cry.

And that is how my mother found me, laughing hysterically at “Teen Titans Go!”

— Claire Meyer

To make me feel better, a few of the children tried to comfort me by taking the rubber shirt device I had been allowed to keep and putting it on my fingers. Together we watched Cartoon Network, finding it increasingly funny. I had the best time, all thanks to a little laughing gas.

And that is how my mother found me, laughing hysterically at “Teen Titans Go!” with tears in my eyes as I grip my crumbled snickerdoodle cookie in my hand, surrounded by a dozen 5-year-olds. Since that moment I have been wary of returning to the dentist, though I am sure I will return soon enough.