A Dental Dual…….

I went to the Dentist today.
Twice.
After languishing in ‘a dark place’ for 4 days over the Christmas break, when all was shut –  I was first in when the door cracked open at 8.30.
I waited patiently for 2 hours for an emergency appointment as they let several other ‘routine bookings’ go first.  It would have been easier if I had rung and booked ahead !

Then when called and examined – the result was as I thought –  the Dentist spoke she said “you have an abscess and root canal problems.”  This is on a tooth they spent weeks on last year before and after a visit to China ! That dentist has since left and returned to Poland. Then she said she was not not sure who to refer me to to in NHS Dentistry as it is a serious problem. Such wonderful words. So I asked for a private referral, which is where I have been this afternoon to see a specialist in Essex.

This state of the art centre has a pricing policy to match but at least they were very professional and most importantly after a through overhaul and consultation I felt they understood the problem. I have 3 teeth in the ‘upper jaw pain area’ in need of serious repair work.  The Dentist explained the options clearly and concisely. The first molar was in his fine words “dead” infected and cracked and he surmised that the crack probably runs the length of the tooth. He would check by removing the filling and if so, the only choice would be to remove the tooth. “We can do all this today he said matter of factly.”  My day had just got worse – we walked outside to consider. Best done now, so I agreed and return to his inspection chair – this time the nurse asked if I would like to watch TV or listen to the radio. I have always wondered why in all the surgeries I have been in there has never been a Michelangelo mural or better still moving pictures on the ceiling wall – here was my wish answered – I had moved upmarket and was now watching a screen & listening to the dulcet tones of Jeremy Vine & Radio 2.

The procedure commenced.
My wife was able to watch in silent participation – which is perhaps not so good for her !
As I lay stupine my thoughts wandered and I found myself trying to remember the plot of Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman & Laurence Oliver, the latter a Nazi on the run who had a penchant for dental torture!

The filling came out, the area photographed and yes the hairline crack checked on a TV monitor to confirm his suspicions were indeed correct so we were now on to the next stage – tooth extraction! I will not impart to you all the gory details, all I will say is the nurse was vocally very supportive and although the art of tooth pulling has of course dramatically improved over hundreds of years the experience is none the-less still harrowing, and with nothing to show the tooth fairy.

Home now with antibiotics and painkillers for 5 days – so no alcohol for New Years Eve for me and then more joy ahead as I will return again for further Endodontics in February.

Umm…. might just have to opt for live TV on my next visit!

Posted by: Fawkes