At the dentists.

One of my earliest childhood memories is of a trip to the dentist, it was a saturday morning and we woke up early to make the appointment as our house was a long way from the clinic. Fortunately i had no holes that needed filling or teeth needing extraction so my memories remain pleasant. I remember champing down on a mold of my teeth filled with ?toothpaste.

Unfortunately over the years my clean dental record has been marred by several fillings, one root canal and one tooth extraction. My record however will not win me a guiness world record. Thank God and i still think i can appear anyday as an advert on for any toothpaste company worth its salt.

Anyway i visited the dentist yesterday were i work for the first time, i had been having a few painful reminders from my right upper premolar about the presence of a crater that needed urgent attention.

This visit was different since i had never attended this clinic before and now everyone who saw me knew that the doctor had a problem. I have never been petrified of the dentists i was not too concerned about making a fool of myself in front of everyone.

The room was small and i had to climb unto the dental chair, the nice comfy battery operated chair i was used to were nowhere in sight, the dentist had to bend and i had to bring my head to the highest point possible propped up by a little pillow. The disposable bib i had been expecting consisted of a rough piece of mackintosh with a piece of cloth over it. So much for the little pleasures that made the visit better.

I was off to a good start, until suddenly cold water wet my legs and face it seemed the compressor for the water pump had a problem. I did not think was affected by it until heard the matron say 'doctor e relax', i was told to open my mouth wide and thankfully i recognised the instument that bore the needle before the nerveblock was done, if not i may have jumped off the chair to the amazement of all present.

After a few minutes of having the 'crater' excavated i was told to rinse out my mouth i was about to do it in the sink attached to the bed when i was redirected to the sink near the wall, no water in littly styrofoamcups, my hand would act as a receptacle, i did the best of a bad job and returned to climb up again into the dental chair.

The injections were as usual painful and i thought yet again i had proved i was tough when i heard the matron say ' e pele' and i found i had held my body in a very rigid stance. Thankfully the procedure went on well with just a few minor interruptions but i went home thankful i had survived yet nother trip to the dentists, hopefully it will be my last.!

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