A Dentist, an iPhone and Laughing Gas

I am afraid of going to the dentist for cavities and other work involving a drill. I'm fine to get my teeth cleaned, but start that drill and I shake so bad it is hard for the dentist to work on me. In 1987, I had my first experience with laughing gas and dental work. It was amazing; it made getting work done more bearable for me.

Since I've had my children, my not so good teeth have gotten worse and I need a couple of crowns. My sister-in-law recently went to the dentist with her iPod and I thought I would take my iPhone since I've not had the opportunity to actually listen to more than a few songs at a time on it and to distract me from the work. I learned 3 very important things during my recent work yesterday:

1) Apparently, even with laughing gas, my anxiety is so high (no pun intended) that I squeezed my iPhone so hard I turned the volume down just as the doctor was about to drill. I heard the drill, their conversation and my music was just in the background. I forgot the volume button was just on the side and couldn't figure out how to raise the sound. I eventually did.

2) Laughing gas and an iPhone, now with the volume turned up, still means I can feel it when the first novacaine shot isn't enough.

3) I distincly remmeber four songs. I was there for an hour and a half. Granted, there is an amount of prep time, oxygen time for coming off the nitrus and time to fit me with my temporary crown. I know he drilled for more than 12 minutes.

I guess the laughing gas works pretty well after all.