Pain tolerance for vanity vs. health

This evening, as I was lying immobile in the dentist's chair, wondering if I have that redhead gene mutation that causes you to feel more pain (or is it that you're more resistant to painkillers? I'm not sure) and wondering why the time between dentist visits always seems so short, my mind started to wander to other painful activities that I undertake.

Getting a facial came to mind. I willingly sign up for this "treatment," despite the physical pain it causes and the not-insignificant dent it makes in my wallet. The obvious difference between a facial and a dentist visit is that one is strictly for vanity and the second is for health. However, I would much more willingly get a facial than go to the dentist, even though the pain from the facial is arguably worse (though in fairness, the pain from a facial is fairly quick; the pain from the dentist was seemingly neverending).

Why is the pain from vanity more acceptable than the pain from healthcare? Perhaps dental visits feel like a medical requirement, an onerous responsibility I cannot shirk without feeling copious guilt. On the other hand, facials are strictly voluntary. And because you have to pay for them--pay a lot for them, in fact--you convince yourself that it is a pampering experience.

Clearly there is a large market for pampering. Perhaps if dental offices could make their cleanings feel more like spa visits, going to the dentist would be more popular. Well, maybe only if they were willing to put away those sharp tools.

About those tools - they were scraping plaque off my teeth. Apparently I have plaque issues. The hygienist recommended that I buy an electric toothbrush because my manual brush, despite my best efforts, was insufficient. In better news, the hygienist, after reviewing my dental x-rays, said that my teeth were "like rocks," which is apparently a compliment.