A Journey into my Sick Psyche

Nothing is more rewarding than a parent being proud of a child’s accomplishment - except maybe a very good orgasm, but I digress…

Alvin complained about a loose tooth when I picked him up from school last Monday. He claimed he "bit" the tooth — basically clenching his teeth together until the bite slid off and pushed the lower incisor off a bit, loosening it. I called the dentist to check whether it is something that we should be worried about, but since there was no pain, we did not bother going that day.

Sure enough, the wiggling tooth is not going away, so we dropped by yesterday to the dentist to have it looked at. I thought it would just a simple oh-it-looks-ok-you-can-go-now kind of job, until I realized they were going to take the damn thing off. Not only that, they will take out the tooth next to it.

As they were laying down the tools needed, Alvin spied the syringe, and asked me what it was.. I matter of factly told him it was a syringe, a word he hasn’t heard yet, but explained it as similar to what their Pediatrician uses to give them shots. He asked whether it will hurt, and I told him "yes, but just a little." The dentist was amused with my reply.

After a little discomfort, and some stiffening of the lower body, the shot was administered, and the dentist left while waiting for the area to numb. Hazel, who was in the room with us at the same time, seems depressed. I inquired and she basically said she’s scared because she does not want her teeth "to be broken." I told her she won’t have the procedure until after two more years, and that if kuya can handle it, so can she.

The dentist came back and started tugging at the loose tooth, then the next tooth after that. Hazel mood somehow changed because her face is almost on top of her brother’s trying to watch the teeth-pulling. When it was finally over, Alvin was all smiles with a gauze between his lips.

I know he’s watched his blood being collected with not even a wince (twice), but that was nothing compared to getting your gums worked by a 2 inch needle. So, Alvin, my hat’s off to you. You made your daddy proud. At the end of the day, the tooth fairy got him a dollar and a sealed copy of Mario vs Donkey Kong 2 : March of the Minis (that tooth fairy never gives out used).

Up next: Tuli!