Dentistry and Compliments

So this week I had my bi-annual dentist appointment. Growing up, I could think of few things I liked less than the dentist (spinach was probably a close second). It was always a miserable and super painful experience for me. (I would also like to mention that I’m pretty good about brushing and flossing so my teeth aren’t riddled with cavities.) I mean really, who wants to have someone else make their gums bleed then be lectured by that sadist about flossing. So over the last twenty-something years of going to a dentist twice a year and being thoroughly traumatized, I’ve developed a small complex about my dentist visits. Like anxiety, sick to my stomach, dreading these two days a year complex—I can’t be the only one out there who feels this way right? Well, whatever. It’s how I feel.

That is, that’s how I felt until I found the angel dentist, which leads me to my point of the day—compliments and dentistry! When I moved to Columbia, I knew I needed a dentist that was closer than Spartanburg, which is where my doctor of tooth torture has resided for the last 9 years. I didn’t have much hope but the person who referred this dentist to me said they were great (at that time, dentist and great did not belong in the same sentence in my humble opinion) so I figured I might as well try them because one torturer was the same as the next. Oh, was I wrong! First off, the dental assistant was so friendly! She carried on a conversation with me, told me about her daughter who went to Clemson, and told me I had great teeth. Wait, what? A professional has never told me anything other than I need to floss more. So this took me by surprise but then the dentist came in and he complimented me on my teeth too! What? My mind was so blown I’m not sure I even knew when she made my next appointment which just so happened to occur this week. When I woke up early to go to the dentist this time, I had minimal anxiety (I mean, it could have been a fluke right? They could be torturers in disguise.) But when I went to my second appointment with this dentist, it was just as enjoyable as the first! The dental assistant is so nice; she remembered things we had talked about during my first appointment (do they write those things down? I don’t think I’d remember random things 6 months later. Either way, it’s nice). She was also full of compliments. Homegirl complimented me on everything from my purse, to my teeth, to my skin, to my eyelashes (weird but she’s been doing Latisse which is working wonders for her). Now, I don’t know if she really thought my skin was that beautiful, I mean I had a bump on my cheek (gross!) but just the fact that she took the time to mention those things absolutely made my day. Oh, and my dentist told me I had beautiful teeth with zero cavities again, hallelujah!

As I walked out of the dentist, I was in the greatest mood ever. Whether it was from all of the nice things those people said or the breaking of the dentist stigma that I’ve had for twenty years I’ll never know but I felt great! This resulted in me being in a great mood at work and while I was working on displays in the store, I got to thinking about how much a little thing such as a compliment can mean to someone. Maybe you compliment them on their new Louis Vuitton purse (which you may or may not be coveting) and they are really excited about it because they have been saving up for months and just bought it for themselves so the compliment means a lot more than you know. Or maybe someone has tried a new hair do and your compliment just affirms what they thought to themselves in the mirror this morning, “damn I look good!” Those little words that take absolutely no effort may make someone’s day so I’ve decided to try and be more complimentary. At work I told two different people I liked their shoes and their resulting smiles assured me that my theory is correct. Compliments improve people’s lives even if it’s only for a second. Now, don’t go getting all fake with people just because this theory works most of the time, if you don’t mean it, don’t say it but if you do like something about them, let them know! And hey, worst-case scenario, karma comes around and kisses your ass!

Love, Em