How to Survive the Dentist

Step One: Take good care of your teeth so all you're doing when you get there is having your teeth cleaned. Flossing is really worth it, despite its lack of glamor.

Step Two: Schedule your appointment wisely. While missing work may be appealing to some, don't underestimate the power of 3 days off prior to your check-up.

Step Three: Attend this fabulous teacher's class prior to your dental visit. You will be ready to lie in that chair after many repetitions of chair pose. And you will be seriously blissed out from an awesome session on the mat.

Step Four: Go to James of the Gentle Hands (aka James Swanson, DDS). His soft puppy-dog nature in greeting you, handling your teeth and gums, and overall demeanor make the experience so much more manageable than your average dentist.

Step Five: After your cleaning, proceed directly to your massage therapist for a long session on the table. If you are lucky enough to have a spot with James, then New Seattle Massage is just up the street.

Step Six: Go to this fabulous teacher's yoga class after your massage. Or before your massage. Or whenever you can. Unless you're still worn out from the first fabulous yoga session.

Step Seven: When you arrive home, celebrate your healthy mouth with something delicious. I recommend this creation I came up with due to odd cravings and a desire to clean out the frig:
(basically an apple cinnamon coffee cake with the substitutions of Greek yogurt and applesauce instead of eggs since I ate the last egg for breakfast, and sliced apple on top to use up the half apple getting old on the top shelf). Put lots of pecans, butter and brown sugar on top. And yes, you should definitely have coffee cake for dinner, you're on vacation, and you had to go to the dentist today! But don't forget to brush your teeth afterwards.