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Don't puke, oh God please don't barf," this thought and that of how much I hate going to the dentist flew through my head, as the cloying smell of antiseptic, fluoride rinse and terror filled my nostrils as I sat on the plastic coated chair.

I gave myself a pep talk. "It's just the dentist, nothing to be afraid of, what's the worst that could happen?" It didn't help.

Instantly my thoughts jumped to dentures and root canals making my stomach churn unpleasantly. As if being at the dentist wasn't bad enough, the man next to me was getting some sort of procedure done and the shrill wine of a drill was assaulting my ears. Its whine was replaced by his whine about how he wasn't completely numb and it hurt.

The dental assistant came to take x-rays of my teeth. I had to hold a huge piece of plastic between my molars while my thoughts turned from barfing to choking as I tried to breath while staring down the scope of the camera. That over, I was once again left to wait for the doctor who would be 'with me in a moment.' I stared at the x-rays on the screen in front of me and begin to panic. Was gray good or bad? The doctor arrived while I was still examining the screen.

Instantly, I was laid back in my chair as he stuck his fingers in my mouth.

He began to rattle off a bunch of words that meant nothing to me. Although in my mind most of it was nonsense I think he said something about how my teeth were crooked, I needed braces, and I had acne, but who knows? He could have been calling me an idiot in pig Latin and I would have had no idea. The nurse quickly interpreted for me that I needed braces and had to come back and get fillings, but was assured that they were small and, 'wouldn't hurt a bit.' I never quite got that. If they don't hurt a bit doesn't that mean they hurt a lot? Then my question about what's the worst that could happen was answered -- I was going to have to have two bottom wisdom teeth removed.

I sighed and got up to leave; off to break the bad news to my dad.

This article is the opinion of Katie Clonan. Clonan is a sophomore at Skyview High School.