I'm not sure how many of you are scared of the dentist. It seems to be a common trait. And it also seems that everyone isn't just 'scared' of the dentist. They are SCARED of the dentist. You know what I mean. Even sitting in that chair brings your heart to your throat, and you just want to get out and run a mile.

So I'm also scared of the dentist, but it seems to come in various forms for me. Sometimes I won't even go near a dentist, even if my teeth are falling out. I'll just sit here, in pain, and try to ignore the fact that my teeth are playing drums on my nerves. Other times I can go in, sit in the chair, take a few deep breaths, have the jab and then get the work done. I just went today and am very proud of the fact that it was the latter and not the former; removal of a crown where there was a root, if you know what I mean.

But one time, when I was so scared that I could only have work done if I was anaesthetised fully, I found a dentist who would not offer that, but would offer nitrous oxide. Good old NO2, laughing gas, the stuff people used to sniff at parties to get things going. I'm not sure if you've had nitrous oxide, but it does agree with its name - everything seems to be funny.

The other thing this dentist offered was DVD. He had a DVD player with the TV in the ceiling, and a set of headphones for you to listen to the DVD you brought along. I had recently purchased Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and hadn't yet had an opportunity to see it.

Ok - Monty Python, funny. Nitrous oxide, funny. Put them together. Let me tell you this. If you haven't seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail while on laughing gas, you have no idea exactly how funny it really is. The dentist hated it. He had to keep telling me to stop laughing so he could get the work done. If you ever get the opportunity to see a Monty Python while under the influence of NO2, go for it.

Remember, however, things which make you laugh so much you don't realise what you are doing can be bad for you if not used responsibly, so don't let impressionable youngsters near Monty Python movies without supervision.