I have quite the dentist phobia. When I was a child our dentist was a man who looked remarkably like John Howard which probably explains a lot. He was mean and intolerant of children who were nervous of the dentist so naturally I found the perfect opportunity to vomit all over him. Sure, the whole reclining nature of visiting the dentist meant I covered myself in vomit but it was so worth it. What? I have a very sensitive gag reflex.
These days the phobia operates on a number of levels:
– it is NEVER ‘just a clean’
– the drilling
– the needle in the gum hurts like a BITCH and never works
– the drilling
– Dentist Condescension – you know, where they tell you how to brush and that you should floss and use a flouride mouthwash – in THAT voice which says, ‘yes, I really do think you are an idiot’.
In the midst of the last few weeks both Jasper and Grover developed toothache.
Both have had to have a molar pulled. Grover has an abscess.
I’ve made Chef deal with it.
Then last week my lower jaw on the left hand side started to ache. A lot.
It was unavoidable.
We thought it was because I’m clenching and grinding my teeth.
That – of course – was just a part of it.
There was – of course – the pesky issue of the two back teeth on the lower left in my mouth that had been broken for years a while.
In fixing them he found decay going into the root of one of them.
Of course he did.
So on Thursday I had a root canal and now have the ultimate Mood Killer Mouthguard as part of my nightwear.
On Tuesday I get to take Oscar in for day surgery for dental work.
Not enough drugs people, not enough drugs.
Onward.