Wendy.

Today I went to the dentist, I wasn’t nervous or worried, because it was for a check-up. The last time I was here I had to have a side upper tooth out, so that was an anxious stressful day. But today I was relaxed and knowing the fact that If I’m asked if I want a clean and polish, I can say, “No, thank you.” Years ago, the dentist would just say, “I’m just going to give you a clean and polish, you had no say in the matter. Like my brother Gerry said recently, “I hadn’t been to the dentist for twenty years and when I went, suddenly this started to ache what didn’t ache before, once they started poking around.” He has a point.

I love people watching, we were all spread out in the waiting room, so I looked at the lady on my right; she was a large lady covered in gold around her neck, fingers and a jewelled watch, she had a large tummy and flat shoes. She was called in then a man came into reception and he sat where she was sat, he too was large. He was dressed like he was ready for rain and snow. He had a heavy parker type coat with fake fur around the hood, and what looked like waterproofed boots, it was a dry day today so he seemed to stand out.

Right opposite me was a lady who looked about thirty four years old she was dressed opposite to the man sat on my right, she had a vest top on and she was covered in tattoos she had her brown hair in a pony tail on top of her head with fifty percent of her head all the way round cleaned shaved. She sat with her leg crossed like a man would. She wore baggy trousers that really suited her. Then another woman came in, she looked neat and tidy like her life was in order. Neat smart flat black leather shoes, she was thirty minutes early, her clothes were a plain skirt below her knee and a plain fine knitted jumper she was slim and wore a walker’s light weight waterproof jacket with a hood. I imagined her home to be as spotless as she looked.

The neat looking lady was called in next, and then in her place was taken with what looked like an older gentleman, he came in with who I guessed was his daughter. He announced to the receptionist, “We are together,” He reminded me of my lovely brother in law, who is no longer with us. I liked him immediately.

When I arrived at the dentist there was a man outside the door having a cigarette, he was talking to someone on the phone using think earphones inside his ears. He now came inside and sat on my left. I saw him slip quickly into his mouth four tooth dentures for his bottom teeth, and I wondered why put them in now? And not wear them to the dentist, he’d just opened the door to the dentist and now he has put them into his mouth. I wondered what his breath must be like, I’d eaten fruit pastels on my journey to the dentist and had eaten nearly all of them by the time I got to the door of the dentist. I usually wait until I’ve been for my check up then I go straight to the shops and buy sweets!      

Then the tattooed lady opposite me was called to go in, her name was Wendy. If I was to guess her name, that wouldn’t be it. What a lovely name, one of my favourite names growing up. My teddy was called Wendy Boston. I looked at her again, as she got up to walk into the room, no her name didn’t suit her, but I don’t know what name did.

It made me think dentist are amazing, for we were all SO different. For I would want to pick and choose whose mouth I looked in and got up close to, for we would all have a different body sent. They must have strong stomachs.

I like my dentist, I’ve never missed a six-monthly appointment, and don’t plan to ever. When my Children realized they had to pay from the age of eighteen, they decided to not go again. The same with their eye tests.