Today I went to the dentist.

As she dug for gold in the back of my mouth, I tried to remember that this is a blessing. It is. This whole experience of a bleeding mouth and watery eyes. Some parts of the world never receive this service. That was my mantra.

“Not a hint of a cavity, Lisa! Just keep up on that flossing.”

On my way out, muttering a thanks to the secretary, I passed a sign that read:
AS ADVERTISED IN PEOPLE MAGAZINE. Do you eat too fast? Do you eat too much? Buy this small artificial mouth filler that will decrease the size of your mouth cavity, forcing you to take smaller bites and eat less food, and giving your brain enough time to signal that you are full!

Looooooorrrrrrrrrrd. I just got back from a starving nation, where bellies are hardened with parasites. Here at home, we’re stuffing plastic in our mouths to control proportions. I couldn’t help but think one thought, Americans are out of control…in every possible way. I tasted blood in the back of my mouth and reminded myself several times that access to dentistry is a blessing.