A Nice Man -- I Don't like Him

From that which I know, T. Merrell Williams is a decent, kind and honorable man who loves little children, puppies and his fellow man.

I don't like him.Dr. Williams, and he is entitled to the honorific, is a dentist in Tampa specializing in Periodontics and Dental Implants. I do not like dentists; they frighten me and give me pain.

I will acknowledge that Dr. Williams tries to be a nice man. He directs a dental hygienist, Eric, to probe and poke with very sharp instruments, all the while pretending to care, saying, "So, how are we doing"? Well, Eric, one of us is doing real fine - and that's not me.

After a while, when Eric has had enough, Dr. Williams comes into the treatment room, all friendly and seemingly unaware of what has occurred. He shakes my wet, clammy hand and smiles. I am neither amused nor taken in!

My antipathy towards dentist goes back 65 years or so. My parents took me to a dentist in Lawrence, Massachusetts, whose name I have blocked from my consciousness. At the start of the appointment, for a check up and cleaning, the Doctor would slowly place a tray in front of me, on which were arranged silvery, shiny instruments left over from the Inquisition. Most of these "tools" were never used, but remained in front of me, silently waiting for me to make the dentist unhappy.

I did get some measure of revenge. If any cavities were found, I was given nitrous oxide gas. After a few minutes, the doctor would ask, "Feeling anything?" I would answer in the negative, meanwhile inhaling as deeply as I could. One day I threw up on the dentist, his hygienist, the chair and a goodly portion of the floor. Yes!

Anyway, a few years ago, Dr. Williams performed periodontal surgery on me. I requested to be totally sedated during the procedure and I slept through the entire event. I had no pain and Dr. Williams was kind and a total gentleman. Because there is a need for continuing income to sustain an attractive office, I visit every six months, in addition to seeing my primary dentist. Both the primary and Dr. Williams are, I guess, fine people.

It's a shame they are dentists.