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last week, i was forced to suck it up and face one of my biggest fears in life:

dun dun dunnnnnnnn!

you guys, I HATE going to the dentist. and i should probably be ashamed to admit how long it'd been since my last visit. seriously, it's an embarrassing length of time. but as i was sitting in the bleachers at the bean's gymnastics showcase, i popped a piece of gum in my mouth and was hit with a crazy wave of pain in one of my back teef. it was seriously intense, and i knew that i simply couldn't avoid it any longer.
 

i managed to find a dentist just down the street who had good yelp reviews (shut up, that's important!), accepted my insurance and even had an opening for me that very afternoon. sold. 

before i could chicken out and decide that i could just power through the pain like i've done in the past, i found myself here.

it was not my finest hour, people. 

but it wasn't as bad as i'd expected. after taking 18 freaking x-rays, we learned that i have zero cavities (something about having an alkaline mouth instead of acidic.  i dunno) but that my lower (super duper impacted) wisdom teeth need to come out. quadrant deep cleanings come next, and then regular visits after that and i'm good to go. 

a few days later, it was the bean's turn. i was even more nervous for her based on past experience, but as it turns out, she's definitely grown up and gained more confidence. 

of course, it helped that she had her brand new rapunzel doll by her side. and then it was even more awesome when she laid back in the chair and caught sight of the movie playing on the monitor just above her:  "tangled."

the hygienist was really sweet and friendly, and put her at ease right away.
 

i dreaded the x-rays for her, after just having gone through the gag-inducing process myself. happily, hers went a lot more smoothly...and quickly. just five-ish for her as opposed to my 18.  plus, her little lead apron was way cuter. 

cleaning and polishing, check!

after an easy exam with the dentist, she got to pick a prize from the treasure chest and accepted a little bag with new dental gear inside. 

unlike me, however, a thorough examination of her x-rays revealed a few small cavities. we also got a sneak peek at the adult teeth that are steadily making their way to the surface. her bottom two front teeth are starting to wiggle ever so slightly, which has her over-the-moon excited. 

looks like her very first visit from the tooth fairy is in her not-too-distant future!