Speaking of recommendations, what happened to all those commercials with 4 out of 5 dentists recommending the latest oral hygiene product. It always bothered me that the dentists could never find consensus. No matter how great the product, there was always one cranky, lone wolf dentist unwilling to give it the thumbs up. I wonder if that naysaying dentist annoyed the other 4. I think I read somewhere that 4 out 5 dentists are slightly annoyed with 1 out of 5 dentists.
To be honest, my early dental memories are tainted by a fair amount of shame. I was not a big fan of brushing teeth and flossing was a twice annual event that corresponded with the morning of my twice annual dental check-ups. My dentist and his dental hygienists were well aware of my unwillingness to heed their gum disease warnings. Consequently, every visit included some sort of verbal disciplinary action, frequently accompanied by graphic visuals of what my future mouth would look like if I continued with my floss-less life.
I also wasn’t a big fan of the hygienist flossing my teeth. It just seemed humiliating, like having someone clean behind your ears or blow your nose. Actually, the whole process of regular dental check-ups was less than empowering. The awkward guttural conversations; the gritty, pasty, tooth scrub, wax and buff; the saliva/tongue sucker; the radiated x-ray snapshot; and the stop-time-in-its-place fluoride treatment. All of this leading up to a stern dental talk and the drumroll anticipation of discovered cavities. Of course all this trauma was somewhat offset by the ability to pick a ten cent toy from a faux treasure box.
Maybe these less than ideal childhood memories are the reason I don’t regularly visit the dentist as an adult. It could also be my poor dental coverage. I think my plan only covers 4 out 5 of my visible teeth when awkwardly smiling. There’s a free yearly tongue scraping, but I always forget to bring the coupon.
As a pastor, I sometimes think my admonitions for individuals to get involved in a local church come across in the same vein as suggested flossing. Even if one thinks it’s probably a good idea, it still seems like more of an awkward chore or a frustrating imposition. If I warn people of the dangers of churchless living, I begin to feel as if I’m threatening gum disease.
To make matters worse, some individuals don’t have very positive memories when it comes to early childhood church visits. Others have been less enamored with their twice yearly, Christmas and Easter check-ups. Sadly, for many people, church is a theoretically good idea that they just can’t seem to put into practice.
What do I say about this dilemma? Well, to be honest, I just want you to know that you are welcome to visit. But you are loved whether or not you visit. If we’ve made you feel uncomfortable in the past, I sincerely apologize. If you need a place to grow in the knowledge of why you exist, then I’ve got some great recommendations. In fact, I’m pretty sure 4 out 5 dentists would find at least one of my recommendations worth pursuing. As far as that 5th dentist…well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. 
Love the perspective, thanks for the thoughts!
Great Word I Am One Of The Four The Agree With You
Is there a way to putt this post in a national or local newspaper or a site that is well read on-line because I think this type of writing can reach people who like you said ” church is a theoretically good idea that they just can’t seem to put into practice.”