Late last week, I had the unfortunate privilege of having one of my wisdom teeth extracted due to it being partially impacted and entirely painful. The procedure itself didn’t scare me much. Rather, it was the post-operative care and trying to avoid dry socket — which can take root in the gaping hole left after the tooth is removed — that gave me pause.

Now, I had a 6:30 p.m. appointment last Thursday to get the procedure done. Obviously I was there by 6:15 p.m. — this shouldn’t be much of a shock to anyone. Now, being that this dentist office is like virtually any other medical office, I expected to wait in the chair for approximately 30 minutes. Things happen, and for whatever reason, the medical profession seems to think its fair to penalize you for being late even though they are almost never on time. Go figure.

The clock turns 6:45, and I’m listening to a news program on the television while playing Brickbreaker on my BlackBerry. No matter; I was expecting this. Then, 7 p.m. comes around — 7:15, 7:20 — you get the picture.

Now, I’m all alone in the operating room tweeting my displeasure and messaging my friend who was waiting to take me back to my apartment after the procedure. By the time it was 8 p.m., I was ready to rip out other people’s teeth, let alone my own. No one had come by to tell me what was going on.

Finally, a receptionist hurriedly scurries by the door, only to come back after I yell for her. I pointedly ask her what the hell was going on, and it was only then she explained that the patient before me was running into complications with his tooth surgery. They were just wrapping up, though, and would then get to me.

OK. Fine. I understand that things happen. My problem was — and I said this to everyone who would listen at that point — that no one told me what was going on. Communication is so important, especially before any type of surgical procedure. It was a terrible beginning to my customer experience that night. I was anxious and supremely annoyed that I had been sitting there for almost two-and-a-half hours to no avail. I couldn’t get that time back.

I will admit that besides the woeful lateness, the rest of my experience was fine. The nurses were friendly to me, the doctor did an excellent job, and I can eat solid food again. As I was lying in the chair while the oral surgeon was digging into my mouth, I thought that the experience could deliver a valuable lesson, not only in one’s love life but also in business.

Communication is key. Sure, it is something that everyone always talks about but oftentimes does incorrectly or, even worse, not at all. Even if the message is a bad one to deliver, just being able to get it out there means so much more than having things lie in the balance. That’s when assumptions, misinformation, and rumors can happen.

So do me a favor: Speak your mind, and keep me informed. It may be arduous — like pulling teeth — but it is a necessary evil.