So I know I’ve talked about her before on here, but my dentist is amazing. And not in a “my dentist is better than your dentist” way…but in a, “she truly is a gift from above” way. 

    I first met Elaine when I was a junior in college and we were both cast in a production of the Vagina Monologues at SUNY Potsdam. At the time, I had no idea she was a dentist. Only that she was incredibly creative and very talented as an actress and performer and that she had a love for all things performing arts. Elaine and I (as well as all the other members of the cast) became very close as it was a very special experience being in that play together. We were trying to combat violence against women and telling these stories in the most meaningful way we knew how. Through art. 

    Fast forward about a decade later and Elaine and I would reunite on an evening that was certainly not one of my best. I had literally just gotten off the plane from California after moving home to New York and immediately went to her office. She promptly did a root canal on me right then and there at about 8:00pm at night. She was tender and so very compassionate. What Elaine had inherited in the 10 years since our last performance was truly a mouthful of nightmares. 

   I have touched several times on my car accident in past posts and even the loss of my smile, but what I don’t know that I’ve really explained is the dental trauma I endured in that accident. Lost and broken teeth as well as a fractured and rebuilt jaw and cheekbone were all part of the picture I painted for Elaine when I showed up on her doorstep. My jaw was wired shut for a total of about 8 weeks but the first two didn’t count as it soon became clear things weren’t lining up properly and everything would have to come out and be redone from scratch. I had screws and plates put in as well as bone graft to help stabilize things. “Dental Trauma” doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what was happening in my mouth. 

     So when I recently called Elaine and said, “help!! I’m having tooth pain, & it’s on the bottom right side” She said, “come on in, we’ll try to get you comfortable”. Two root canals later, I think we both thought (& hoped) that was it…but it turned out to just be the beginning. Two weeks later and probably 7 or 8 office visits, I just sobbed on her shoulder and truly realized how lucky I was when I was FINALLY feeling some relief and she said to me, “do you want to come sleep at my house?? I can just give you Novocain all night and we can keep you comfortable.” The thing is…SHE ABSOLUTELY WOULD HAVE LET ME DO THAT!! She is that special & that caring. The most important thing she said to me yesterday as we were doing all this was, “This could happen to ANYONE. This isn’t just YOU. Things like this just happen & they really stink when they do, but it’s nothing you did, & it’s not your special situation that made this happen, so don’t feel bad.” 

   She also reminded me how amazing my body is and how much it has gone through. She said, “Miranda, I don’t know anyone who could have endured what you did and had their body still be chugging along like yours is. It’s doing a great job. Keep reminding yourself of that.” So I repeated the phrase I love so much that John Mayer coined years ago, “Your body is a wonderland”. Because it most certainly is. And Elaine is my queen of hearts… and sometimes my mouth. 

     I have no doubt in my mind that Elaine was a fabulous actress of screen and stage in her past life and that her passions have now carried over into this one, but I for one am so grateful her talents in the field of medical dentistry were also gifted to her. She changes lives every day and has not only soothed my nerves but also helped to heal my soul. Thank you my dear friend for giving me the really GOOD STUFF.