Dr. Brushy Teethy and Professor Pasty Face
yesterday was a not-so-great day. Aside from having to turn in one group assignment for decision analysis and two income statements and a balance sheet for accounting, to take a test in economics and to complete some work grant assignments, after school yesterday afternoon I got to go to the dentist.
I haven’t had a cavity in well over a decade – I’m sure it’s been 15 years since I’ve had a cavity. At some point in my early teens my teeth grew some cahones and started fighting back against the cavity creeps, so I’ve had a nice extended vacation from the drill. But unfortunately all those ancient silver fillings (bling bling) are starting to weaken and yesterday I had to have three of them replaced with newer, whiter fillings. That’s right! Three cavities!
the interesting thing about dental work is that it is HUGE. That is to say that even though dental work takes place on a relatively small stage, to YOU it is huge because it is IN YOUR BRAIN. I swear the numbing needles the dentist used started tapping at the back of my skull she stuck them so deep into my jaw. And when she started drilling on my teeth it felt remarkably like I was in the middle of a construction zone. Not only that, but when they take the grinder to your teeth, you can actually smell burning bone.
my dentist is a hummer, so amidst the sounds of the dentist’s drilling and my own whimpering I got to hear some badly-hummed melodies. It reminded me of my torturedontist in Toronto who used to hum to himself while delivering great bouts of pain to my mouth. “Hum hum hum…” *SQUEEZE!* “Hum hum hum hum…” *WRENCH!* … well at least it was for a good cause.
after the cavities were filled I blearily stood up and I could swear my lower jaw was totally missing. It was there of course but I couldn’t feel it, and it took a couple of hours before I could. Right after the appointment Yvonne and I went to meet a potential new daytime nanny for Callum and I’m sure I made a great first impression with my goofy lower lip. When the feeling first started coming back in my lip it itched like crazy, but it was an itch you couldn’t scratch! It was bizarre. And that’s that!
have a good weekend!
Cue the “Little Shop of Horrors” soundtrack for the dentist scene! Dentists who hum…there ought to be a law!
I’m sure many will thank you for putting this behind a cut.
Oh. Mah. Gawd.
I’m glad you can talk now. Last time I went to the dentist I had a filling done, and I laughed myself silly looking in the mirror at my face, half of which wouldn’t move. I hate it when you’re so numb you can’t even drink out of a straw. Meep!
eeeeugh
Hate the dentist. Hate hate hate. That reminds me, the last time I went was when I had my wisdom teeth cut out about 3 years ago. Oops.
–riney
I feel your pain. Or rather, I used to, and probably will again. A tooth is acting up.
I got my first cavity filled when I was in high school. The next three were done 16 years later. I still remember that first one though.
The dude shot me up with whatever numbing junk and left and then came back. I had no clue what was supposed to happen or what it was supposed to feel like so when he asked me if I was numb I said yes. It felt numb to me.
Well, I did not scream from the drill, which was good, but I do not think I was fully numb because I could feel it in there doing its drilling.
I road my bike there and on the way home the side of my face went mega-numb. Oooh, thats what he was asking about.
Years later when I had some minor surgery on my toes I found out that my body takes awhile to react to anesthesia. That helped me with the last cavities.
Sounds like your mba program is cranking a bunch of work. Hope its going well. Have fun.
Few things in life suck as hard as dental work, pal. I feel for ya.
I really didn’t need to read this post- I think I will finally have to get an actual filling and now I am terrified. I have never had any type of needle in my mouth…whimper…