And hopefully the last time.....tooth/dentist memory

For the inspiration behind this blog click here.

I realised as I was composing my last entry that I have another "tooth/dentist" related memory that is very vivid. I'm sure you have them too. Those memories where you "touch wood" when recalling them, that they won't happen again. They are usually horror stories to those recalling them and you share a degree of empathy when you hear them. Of course, I know I'm guilty of the odd embellishment too when telling this type of story. Are you?

And hopefully the last time......tooth/dentist memory

“I was in sixth year at school and it was winter time. I was running away from someone about to lob a snowball at me, when someone in front of me stuck out their hand to stop me. I skidded right round them and landed flat on my face. I landed on tarmac. I was pulled up and I knew straight away something was wrong in my face. The pain was unbearable.

I’d clean broke my front tooth and the nerve ending was dangling down like rubber thread. I couldn’t help touching it with my tongue – oh.. but the pain.

As soon as people realised, I was taken to the headmaster to get a call into my parents. Some pupils who’d seen it were even looking in the snow for the piece of tooth that had been smashed – never did find it but I reckon I must have swallowed it.

I was taken down to my Dad’s surgery in town – he worked across the road from the dentist. He took me over and sat and waited with me. I remember the dentist wasn’t my normal one and I didn’t feel comfortable. I had a sodding great gap in my face but all I wanted was the pain to stop. He gave me an injection in the gums and sorted out the nerve – my god the needle looked huge! He took out bits of the tooth and filed it down to a tiny piece in the gum.

I ended up walking about without a front tooth for weeks while they made up a false one for me. When I got the temporary one in I used to have a party trick where I’d pop it out and grin away with this metal grey stump hanging down my face! People hated that one! Thankfully I’ve had this one in for over 10 years now without a mishap!”