my next dental appointment

i am always reluctant to go for my quarterly appointment with the dental hygienist. not that i am afraid of the dental chair and equipments. in fact, i quite enjoy the process of lying there with eyes closed when somebody is working on me. since the company took away the insurance coverage of massages, to pay for the $80 per hour sessions myself is out of the question. having my teeth cleaned and my hair done remind me of the luxury of being massaged. the associations might sound weird but are pathetically true.

the reason for not liking to see teresa is a moral one. she would have scolded me every time she sees me. very politely, she gives me a little lecture over simple and important act of tooth brushing and flossing. i brush my teeth twice a day, habitually, but not seriously enough. i floss, only the day before i see teresa. it's like my little cover-up before facing the judge. so when i see teresa, it feels like a guilt-ridden person who knows exercise and diet are good to shed the ponds but cannot manage to do so.

i have so far the ultimate control over what's coming into my mouth: i manage to eat right and eat well. but i have not enough plague and tartar control in my mouth. more motivation is needed...

came the tooth brushing time of the evening. sienna and i were both picking up our cleaning gear. i said, almost to myself, "so the doctor said i need to take care of my teeth more..." sienna didn't let me get away with that, "mommy, do you eat too much sugar? i brush my teeth well, mommy not brushing teeth well?"

she got a clean bill from her first dental appointment last month. well, mommy doesn't seem to be doing well enough. what could be more inspiring than getting the message from a little disciplined person like her? next time i see teresa, it's got to be an all-around enjoyable experience, if not all the same as a massage.