Getting out of the comfort zone
Before teaching yoga class last Tuesday I went into the orthodontist's to have a band put around one of my teeth--the one that lost the bracket. I wasn't exactly sure what this band would be like, but I imagined it being small and stretchy for some reason. It was actually large and metal and when the orthodontist (Dr. M) showed it to me before putting it on, my heart just sank. He took the wire off the brackets and was fiddling around here and there. I never know quite what they're doing as I'm lying back in the chair with my mouth wide open.
At a certain point my tongue got a chance to graze my teeth very briefly and something felt out of place--or, rather, not there at all. I said to Dr. M, "Did another bracket fall off?" "Oh, yeah," he said, "I mistakenly took it off...I guess we'll have to put a band around that tooth as well." It is just not a good idea to get upset with someone who is fooling around in your mouth with sharp objects. Not only did my heart sink, but I felt an ache in the pit of my stomach. Things seemed to be taking a terrible turn for the worse.
He put more spacers between my teeth--for the tooth that is also soon to be banded. The spacers hurt, my gums bled. Not a pretty picture. Then he finally put the band on the original problem child tooth. Thankfully it is in the back of my mouth, but this thing is about twice the size of the brackets and basically encompasses the whole tooth. Having one band is okay...but having to get another one in a few weeks...well, I'm not so okay with that.
As Dr. M was finishing up, Dr. Newman walked in and asked to take a look. So I smiled big and he's looking, investigating and says they're coming along. The visit was pretty unpleasant, I must admit. I stopped off in the bathroom before leaving so that I could check out this new and large contraption in my mouth. As I smiled in the mirror, I noticed a rather large amount of congealed blood stuck between one of my brackets and my tooth. I was so angry. Was anyone going to mention this to me before I left the office? Dr. Newman looked so intently at my teeth and didn't say a word. Nothing from any of the assistants... It took a while for me to get the blood out of there, but it was finally gone. It was the first time I left the orthodontist's office without a big smile on my face.
As I walked from the office to my yoga class, I realized how comfortable I had gotten with the way things were. But movement and change usually don't happen when you stay as is, in your comfort zone. Things begin to shift in the uncomfortable, or even painful, moments. These are the places you don't want to be and generally the feelings you would rather not feel. And, yet, they are also the greatest opportunities for change and growth.
At a certain point my tongue got a chance to graze my teeth very briefly and something felt out of place--or, rather, not there at all. I said to Dr. M, "Did another bracket fall off?" "Oh, yeah," he said, "I mistakenly took it off...I guess we'll have to put a band around that tooth as well." It is just not a good idea to get upset with someone who is fooling around in your mouth with sharp objects. Not only did my heart sink, but I felt an ache in the pit of my stomach. Things seemed to be taking a terrible turn for the worse.
He put more spacers between my teeth--for the tooth that is also soon to be banded. The spacers hurt, my gums bled. Not a pretty picture. Then he finally put the band on the original problem child tooth. Thankfully it is in the back of my mouth, but this thing is about twice the size of the brackets and basically encompasses the whole tooth. Having one band is okay...but having to get another one in a few weeks...well, I'm not so okay with that.
As Dr. M was finishing up, Dr. Newman walked in and asked to take a look. So I smiled big and he's looking, investigating and says they're coming along. The visit was pretty unpleasant, I must admit. I stopped off in the bathroom before leaving so that I could check out this new and large contraption in my mouth. As I smiled in the mirror, I noticed a rather large amount of congealed blood stuck between one of my brackets and my tooth. I was so angry. Was anyone going to mention this to me before I left the office? Dr. Newman looked so intently at my teeth and didn't say a word. Nothing from any of the assistants... It took a while for me to get the blood out of there, but it was finally gone. It was the first time I left the orthodontist's office without a big smile on my face.
As I walked from the office to my yoga class, I realized how comfortable I had gotten with the way things were. But movement and change usually don't happen when you stay as is, in your comfort zone. Things begin to shift in the uncomfortable, or even painful, moments. These are the places you don't want to be and generally the feelings you would rather not feel. And, yet, they are also the greatest opportunities for change and growth.
posted by TinselTeeth at 6:06 PM
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