The phone rings and I answer. I say "hello'' and the voice on the on the other end of the phone asks for Meghan. I reply, "This is she". The voice says she is calling to remind me of my 4:00 PM dental appointment. I sigh and tell her I will be there. With great reluctance, I slowly stand up to find my mom and ask her for a ride.
             I enter the building and walk over to the elevator. I push the up button and wait patiently. The elevator arrives and the doors promptly open. I get in and push the brightly lit button with the number two on it. The doors close and up I go. Once I reach the second floor I get off the elevator and right away, I can smell the mixture of wintergreen- flavored toothpaste and bleach emanating from Dr. Timothy Tam's office.
             As soon as I open the outer door, the blast of cool air from the air conditioner hits me in the face, making me shiver all over. I walk in and add my name to the list on the sign-in sheet. The gray-haired woman behind the white frosted sliding glass window sees me and lets me know they will be ready for me in a minute. While I wait for the dental assistant, in her crisp white uniform, to call out my name, I look at the fish in the large blue tank in the corner of the room. The sleek fish dart about playing hide and seek with the
             plastic mermaid at the bottom of the tank, while tiny silver bubbles slip to the top of the tank's surface and break silently. I turn and look to see a photo album sitting on the coffee table. I pick it up, only to see pictures of decaying teeth and gums. I quickly close the book and shudder at the thought, as I roll my tongue over my teeth and thank God they are all there.
             The dental assistant calls my name so I enter the inner office and sit in the brown leather chair, looking at all the shiny stainless steel equipment. With a click, the uniformed hygienist turns on the overhead li
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