Root canal

Before work yesterday, I trundled onto a bus headed for Billings Bridge, where my dentist works. I was both dreading and looking forward to this. I had been in agonizing pain for six weeks, so as odd as it may seem for someone to say they are looking forward to a root canal, I mostly was.

I got there before the doors opened. Another fellow was waiting there, and he looked at me as though I didn't belong there. You can't talk me out of being here, I thought to myself. I've often been late to the dentist, but since my dentist switched to this practice, I've been early every time. It is just an easier location for me to get to.

It was not my dentist I was here to see today, though. They have a specialist for that, and that was who I was seeing. So I was a little nervous. Before he began, he took a picture that was broadcast onto a ceiling mounted television in front of me - a picture of my tooth as it looked from the inside of my mouth. A round red hole took up nearly the entire bottom of my tooth. How the heck did he miss it? I wondered about the first dentist I had approached with my pain (not my regular dentist, but that is a long story.)

When he was done, but before the temporary filling went in, he took another picture. Half my tooth, and all of its insides, had been amputated. They aren't kidding when they call it a root canal.

I got to work with my nose numb and the left side of my face not working at all. I impersonated Jean Chretien for everyone, and I guess I nailed it. They all laughed. When the freezing came out I was free of pain - free for the first time since the end of July.

That's not so today. Thanks to the swelling, it hurts - a dull, persistent ache. It is preferable to the stabbing pain from before, but it is a little bit of a come down. It was nice not to hurt for a while. :-)