I was sitting in the chair, covered with a blanket, looking out the window,
View from a root canal
when the hygienist asked if I wanted nitrous oxide. I said "Yep. I want anything that will take my mind away from what's actually happening inside my mouth."
So she brought this Apollo 11 looking nose mask out, put it on me and said that it would work quicker if I uncrossed my ankles (a nervous, at the dentist pose I tend to strike when I know sharp metal objects are pointed at my teeth and gums). Within just a few minutes, I was feeling mighty fine. I didn't care what was going on in my mouth or anywhere else.
After what felt like 15 minutes (but was really 2 hours) -- I know I slept during a few of those because I woke myself up with my own snore, the doc said "we're done." The hygienist took away my happy mask and I soon returned to my usual conscious state.
So I got to thinking, I bet people would pay big bucks to go to a nitrous oxide spa. A comfy recliner, a warm blanket, and some NO2. Nirvana to anyone who is just looking to chillax for a bit, right? We could even sell designer nitrous masks -- tie dye, leopard print, purple glitter, camoflague for the manly men. Set the timer -- 30 minutes, 60 minutes or the deluxe 90 minute special. And the beauty of it is that once the masks come off, the nitrous wears off quickly, so no "breathing and driving" liability.
I think it's a winner of an idea. I just wish they would have let me keep the nitrous mask on this morning while I was writing the check for the $537 bill. Maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much.
