Last Saturday I had the unfortunate opportunity to visit the dentist. The reason for my untimely visit? Three weeks of increasingly unbearable pain on the right side of my upper and lower gum line. This pain led to constant headaches and the inability to enjoy food, drinks, or even sleep. So early Saturday morning Amy drove me to the dentist in an attempt to rectify the problematic pain.
While sitting ever so comfortably in the dental chair, I was both relieved and concerned about exactly what the determination of this dental visit would be. Would the dentist decide for a simple filling, a root canal, an extraction, or something else? As these thoughts lingered in my mind, the x-rays were collected and the deliberation about the results were being discussed. Upon physical investigation of my teeth and visual inspection of the problem areas surrounding the pain riddled area, those wondrous words spewed forth from the mouth of the dentist, extraction.
Please note that this was not the first time I have had an extraction, so I was well aware of the procedure about to take place. As the anesthetic began to affect my face, it began to feel like rubber and the drool started to run down my face. Apparently the tooth was a bit difficult to remove easily, so I had to endure a slow and lengthy push-pull maneuver until the tooth was finally removed. However, it was not that easy, a piece broke off inside the gum line. This meant that it had to be dug out of the gum. Sparing all the wonderful details, it was taken care of and I now have one less tooth in my mouth.
The healing process is going quickly, except the discomfort of a surface burn I acquired the afternoon of the procedure. As a rule of thumb, tissue is extremely sensitive to hot foods! Also the fact that the gum and face remain numb to all sensation for a few hours, can lead to unintentional damage. Just remember that.
Not Great With Words 