Last night I took my border collie out for a long walk that she really needed. We went all along the canal where we could watch the owners settle in their boats for the night. In the distance, boat lights went on and off all along the canal, and they looked like rows of teeth, some stained and others bright-like after teeth whitening.

Although I have a dentist Glasgow, I avoid going because of anxiety, and only see dentists out of necessity, like when my tooth fell out. Thankfully, my dental implants Glasgow clinic was there to help at the time. Still, thinking about these canal lights and my teeth while walking Rosie, made me suddenly stop and take a look at her teeth. In the dark, I couldn’t see properly, but I was sure they must too resemble mine in needing care.

We wondered on over tree root, stone and mud, when I couldn’t get tooth metaphors out of my mind. It felt like I was walking through my oral passages encountering saliva, tooth roots, and teeth. Perhaps it was the dark of night bringing on more anxiety giving human form to non-human nature. If phobias for the dark, for dealing with people, and so on, could be treated, surely dental fears could be too. Today, I made an appointment for Rosie to have her teeth cleaned, and me to talk with my dentist about my fears.