How You Avoid The Dark Side Of Dentistry

Discover Helen Butler´s thoughtful view on dentistry while we`ve been on Tom Evans´s workshop  “Author´s Re-Treat”. Get inspired!

Go for the real smile

Spiders, they keep appearing all around me, crawling over my book. Their eight legs clattering along. Weaving their intricate webs of lies and deceit and so we weave. We spin those webs, casting out our thoughts and feelings. Catching our prey within it. Like the venus fly trap. We send out our scent into the night. Attracting all the honey and when we do and  we get one that sniffs a bit too close, then bang, we snap shut and we keep a tight hold. No way are we letting go of the prey.

Today from where I sit, I see so much. Just look around, GHD straighteners, push up bras, chicken fillets, make up, nail art, teeth whitened, botox. Look different, look younger, look taller. It´s all just a veneer, to just paste over, an image to just fill in and conform to.

Take a trip to the dentist and what happens?

He takes a look inside and whats in there looks dark, a black hole. A quick poke around, a few smoke and mirrors. Then drill and fill a few bits and pieces. The sticking plaster has been stuck in the whole. We look in the mirror and close our mouths. We smile once more through gritted teeth.

Do we like the reflection that stares back at us?

What is actually in that black hole?

If we were to open our mouths and take a proper look? Would it be good or would there be much darkness, much badness.

And so, just like those creepy crawly spiders, it might make you shudder. It may make you want to run away screaming. It may make you want to shut your mouth and not go back to that dentist because, it may cause pain.

The healings didn’t quite happen with a pill and a drill. But that’s OK, you don’t have to look again if you don’t want to, another dentist will do as you ask and fill a few more gaps and not bother to look at the smile within. Or even better, get some veneers and really cover up the truth.

Darkness is not such a bad thing and badness can always be transformed to good if you so choose and are not afraid to face your fears. It isn’t always the easy option short term, but when the same problem repeats itself, then take a look, face your fears and maybe surprise yourself with where you can shine your light and actually allow yourself to see and marvel at your own true smile.

Who needs a dentist?

Well maybe some do and if  he’s the one for you, then brilliant. That’s something that has to be worth truly smiling about. Just this time, your smile is your own and the one smiling back isn’t saying through false teeth, that’s $100 please maam.

Thank you Helen for sharing your opinion.

This way dentistry becomes far more complex than just the normally perceived routine of drill, fill and bill.