Dental chair confessions.
I had a very strange dental appointment this morning. I was due for my six-month exam, and I usually look forward to having my teeth cleaned. However my experience at the dentist has been less than enjoyable since I changed insurance. My health plan locks me into a giant commercial provider, and I am now only seen by hygienists since the actual dentists are busy with true oral crises.
After I had been scanned and shuffled through the reception lines, I was called back to the exam room and put in the chair with a dental bib and the sounds of early nineties soft rock to keep me company. The appointment was early in the morning, and being put in a horizontal position after so recently coaxing myself out of bed was not a good way to jumpstart my day.
The hygienist walked in with a big smile and a pleasant demeanor. It wasn’t until she was actually leaning over me with her tools in my mouth that I started to notice something a little abnormal. First off, she smelled like a stale pot of coffee. Really- it took me about twenty minutes to figure it out, but she was definitely carrying the scent of day-old grounds.
But things grew stranger. As she cleaned my teeth she told me about her amateur photography hobby. “Aaa-aah, ahh,” I voiced in general approval. Pleased that I was interested, she proceeded to fill in the details about how she periodically sneaks into inhabited private residences to take pictures of old architecture. My “Aah aahs?” started to carry a questioning tone, but that didn’t deter her happy confession. It seems that she regularly drives out into the country to photograph old farm houses, and she finds ways to get inside to take pictures. This dental professional specifically mentioned that she had done her stealth photography on several occasions when the owners were actually on the property. Once there was someone sleeping in the house while she was there.
Now forget my post about friends-of-a-moment; why was she telling me this? Did she think I would appreciate her minor criminal endeavors? Did she want my approval? Was she trying to impress me? I’m still scratching my head about this one. Maybe she really doesn’t see any problem with trespassing and photographing private property.
As she was walking me to the front desk, she asked if I had any hobbies of my own.
After I had been scanned and shuffled through the reception lines, I was called back to the exam room and put in the chair with a dental bib and the sounds of early nineties soft rock to keep me company. The appointment was early in the morning, and being put in a horizontal position after so recently coaxing myself out of bed was not a good way to jumpstart my day.
The hygienist walked in with a big smile and a pleasant demeanor. It wasn’t until she was actually leaning over me with her tools in my mouth that I started to notice something a little abnormal. First off, she smelled like a stale pot of coffee. Really- it took me about twenty minutes to figure it out, but she was definitely carrying the scent of day-old grounds.
But things grew stranger. As she cleaned my teeth she told me about her amateur photography hobby. “Aaa-aah, ahh,” I voiced in general approval. Pleased that I was interested, she proceeded to fill in the details about how she periodically sneaks into inhabited private residences to take pictures of old architecture. My “Aah aahs?” started to carry a questioning tone, but that didn’t deter her happy confession. It seems that she regularly drives out into the country to photograph old farm houses, and she finds ways to get inside to take pictures. This dental professional specifically mentioned that she had done her stealth photography on several occasions when the owners were actually on the property. Once there was someone sleeping in the house while she was there.
Now forget my post about friends-of-a-moment; why was she telling me this? Did she think I would appreciate her minor criminal endeavors? Did she want my approval? Was she trying to impress me? I’m still scratching my head about this one. Maybe she really doesn’t see any problem with trespassing and photographing private property.
As she was walking me to the front desk, she asked if I had any hobbies of my own.
“I like to write,” I told her.
“Oh?” she asked, “What do you write?”
“I write poetry and some prose. It is often the best way for me to sort through life experiences.”
“Well, good luck with that,” she shrugged, “It seems like a nice pastime, but I’ve never been able to find much to write about.”
Somehow I knew that wouldn’t be a problem for me today.
“Oh?” she asked, “What do you write?”
“I write poetry and some prose. It is often the best way for me to sort through life experiences.”
“Well, good luck with that,” she shrugged, “It seems like a nice pastime, but I’ve never been able to find much to write about.”
Somehow I knew that wouldn’t be a problem for me today.
posted by Erin 6:03 PM
8 Comments:
She's been sampling the wares, is my bet. Not that I go around talking trash about the people you haphazardly encounter.
And I'm stealing that to write short fiction about. What an subtly disturbing pastime with such nonchalant motivations.
jajaja I wish my visits to the dentist were at least interesting and not painful.
Dot- especially disturbing when you are at the mercy of her sharp-prodding thing.
Uchtung- 'Endeavor' is an American spelling of the same word, but I do like the British version.
I think you are describing a psychological tendency to project our feelings onto inanimate objects.
Xun- Unfortunately there was still a little pain involved.
Very funny story. She reminded me of a character in Korean movie that came out last year called "3 Iron". It was about this guy who would figure out people were on vacation and then break into their houses. Instead of stealing anything though, he would just eat their food, sleep in their bed, watch TV... Your hygenist's need seemed to be different, like that nothing could stop her from her past time. Or maybe she was also getting into something similar, a breaking into someone's life.
Nice Story. Creepy Fetish. Nice & Creepy Dental Hygienist.... You do seem to find the strangest people to tell you the stories of their lives. What is it about you Erin that attracts such people?
And the stale coffee smell.... Maybe she was digging through some antique trashcans on someone's property....
A funny coincidence, I was just reading this before I read your post.
I bet it's going to catch up with her one day, though. She must not see a thing in the world wrong with her hobby. Has no one ever told her? Hmmm.
Chuck- Sounds like an interesting movie. I think I've done that at my parents' house when they were out of town. I think it is a bit of a power trip for the hygienist.
N- I've talked with some strange people, but I have to say that this was the first nearing-criminal confession that I have ever heard.
Heh heh... antique trashcans...
Nancy- That is a strange coincidence. I'm glad I don't have that guy to deal with.
It probably will catch up with her. Don't behaviors like that tend to get increasingly daring? Maybe she will start sneaking photos of old people next.
Quite interesting. I am curious, did she seem like the kind of person who would break into properties? I think the real term is she is a voyeur. Anyhow, can you explain the coffee ground smell? Was it on her breath or on her clothes. My be is breath.
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