From The Dentist's Chair

Today I had the misfortune of a dentists appointment. It was the second time I had been in the last twenty years. I had my initial check up a few weeks ago and today was the first treatment. I had a filling put in each of my front 2 teeth.

The worst thing about being at the dentist is the waiting. Sat there I could here all the relevant noises drills whizzing etc. But the one thing I noticed was that everyone waiting in that room was doing pretty much the same thing to control their nerves. People twiddling thumbs, biting their nails and one guy shuffling through a magazine nervously. All of us waiting anxiously to be called.

At last after about twenty minutes I was called in by my dentist. She told me she was going to fill in the teeth mentioned earlier. Then she pulled out a needle, now if you are like me the mere sight of needles it's brown trousers time. She said that it might hurt a little (dentist speak for uncontrollable agony). But refreshingly surprising was just a tiny scratching sensation in the upper part of my gum. Then the same feeling when I got the other part of my mouth injected.

From here on in, it got a bit surreal. The surface of each tooth was prepared for the filling compound. The usual menagerie of bits being exchanged in that hand held implement of torture. Then the compound was put in the first tooth then some more usage of the hand held. Now this was the weird part the nurse then produced this huge orange visor and something that resembled a small welding torch. Then there was a blue light. Had I not known where I was I could have conceivably been an episode of the X-Files, just before an abduction, or as I commented in a tweet on CSI as a dead body in a crime scene. Then all of the above happened on the next tooth.

Then after about twenty minutes it was all over. But I didn't get given a lolly so disappointment there. A misconception of mine has been temporarily myth busted, that going to the dentist is a painful experience. Not today it wasn't anyway. I say temporarily myth busted at next week's visit to the legalised chamber of torture, I've got to have a rotten tooth removed. Then there was the lack of feeling in my upper lip and on part of my nose that took three and a quarter hours to wear off.

Will blog about next visit to the dentist and inform you all whether the agony at the dentist myth is really and truly busted. See you cyber fans.