 |
| Image: The Telegraph |
Bad day’s writing and it was all down to my teeth.
I’d felt smashing when I got up yesterday: fresh, alert and renewed as though I’d slept the perfect sleep. Basically, I went to work feeling brilliant and people even noticed my mood was chirpier than its normal level of chirpiness.
Day job went fine but I had to leave half an hour early to fulfil part three of my new dentist visits. Part 1 (a couple of weeks ago) was my registration and initial consultation, part 2 (last Friday) was half an hour with the hygienist, and part 3 came today: a couple of small fillings to tidy things up before they got any worse.
No problem. I’ve had a filling before.
Shocker
The first one went fine. I hardly even noticed the injection, he was meticulous in his drilling and in applying the “fill”, and he communicated everything throughout. Marvellous, and that’s the difference right there, as I told him, because my previous dentist would say nothing, the injections always hurt and the work always seemed to be rushed.
This was good. Time for tooth number two.
Whereas the first one was a regular, easy filling to apply, the second one was on the side of an awkward tooth. In he came for the injection, and after the first one I feared absolutely nothing. I was even contemplating running through my latest manuscript in my mind as he worked.
Then something happened. I can’t remember the precise order of events, but after a couple of seconds of the injection being applied, my body jerked violently of its own accord and my tongue, chin and neck on my right side felt as though something had sprayed out of the needle across my face, burning me in the process.
He paused, checked I was okay, I gave him the hand signal (pre-arranged – how cool is that?) then continued a few more seconds before removing the needle.
Naturally, my first question was: “what the hell was that?” It turned out I was one of those unlucky and rare patients to experience the needle coming into direct contact with a main nerve. I’m not sure if it was actually painful, but it was a bloody strange and rattling experience.
The burning pain I’d felt wasn’t hot injection liquid spraying over me, it was an electric shock pulsing through the main nerve that runs from the inside of my tooth and mouth down through my chin and into my neck. Stupidly, I asked why electricity was applied to numb a tooth then it dawned on me – it was my body’s own electricity and that’s why I jolted. I was to think of it as touching a live wire with a screwdriver.
The problem with teeth is that they are all connected to nerves that run in all directions down into one’s body. One single touch with a foreign metal object and BOOM!
The filling was easily and quickly applied but afterwards I felt somewhat rattled. I couldn’t speak properly for my swollen face (it wasn’t actually swollen, just numb) but I seemed to find myself garbling nonsense and feeling a little unsteady on my feet.
I got myself together, paid up, had a wee joke and a laugh with the receptionist, then left. Thankfully my wife arrived to collect me and take me home (via the ATM for her Ladies Night) and when I got home I slept most of it off, managing to eat a warm portion of Shepherd’s Pie later on.
And So To Today
I feel much better this morning after a good sleep and have a few things to tick off from today’s GDR, not least, another few pages of BACCARA BURNING. Later, me and my daughter are having another film night, with The Empire Strikes Back now being firmly looked forward to by all.
Since I successfully introduced her to Star Wars last week, Han Solo and friends have been the topic of many a conversation at home. Empire is my favourite of all the films in the series and if it’s been long since I last saw Star Wars, it’s been even longer since I last watched Empire.
Reggae Britannia
There’s a bunch of Reggae / SKA related footage on BBC4 (TV) tonight. Full information on Reggae Britannia can be found here, but here’s a run down of tonight’s awesome line-up:
21:00–22:30
Reggae Britannia
Documentary looking at reggae’s influence on British music and society since the 1960s.
22:30–00:00
BBC Four Sessions
Reggae Britannia: Live concert featuring Big Youth, Ken Boothe, Neville Staple, Ali Campbell and others.
00:00–00:45
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Reggae Concert from the Edinburgh Festival: The Cimarons, Winston Groovy, Dennis Alcapone, the Marvels, Nicky Thomas and the Pioneers. (R)
00:45–01:30
Rock Goes to College
The Specials: The Specials perform at the Colchester Institute in 1979, playing hits such as Gangsters. (R)
Have a great Friday, people – enjoy being on the cusp of another weekend!
SPECIAL OFFER
Get 25% off STELLA, my spy novella with a twist, when you order the e-book from the publisher’s website at www.eternalpress.biz. Simply quote 612JMZN67VZX at checkout.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Freedom from the Mundane 
The Problem with Teeth…
Bad day’s writing and it was all down to my teeth.
I’d felt smashing when I got up yesterday: fresh, alert and renewed as though I’d slept the perfect sleep. Basically, I went to work feeling brilliant and people even noticed my mood was chirpier than its normal level of chirpiness.
Day job went fine but I had to leave half an hour early to fulfil part three of my new dentist visits. Part 1 (a couple of weeks ago) was my registration and initial consultation, part 2 (last Friday) was half an hour with the hygienist, and part 3 came today: a couple of small fillings to tidy things up before they got any worse.
No problem. I’ve had a filling before.
Shocker
The first one went fine. I hardly even noticed the injection, he was meticulous in his drilling and in applying the “fill”, and he communicated everything throughout. Marvellous, and that’s the difference right there, as I told him, because my previous dentist would say nothing, the injections always hurt and the work always seemed to be rushed.
This was good. Time for tooth number two.
Whereas the first one was a regular, easy filling to apply, the second one was on the side of an awkward tooth. In he came for the injection, and after the first one I feared absolutely nothing. I was even contemplating running through my latest manuscript in my mind as he worked.
Then something happened. I can’t remember the precise order of events, but after a couple of seconds of the injection being applied, my body jerked violently of its own accord and my tongue, chin and neck on my right side felt as though something had sprayed out of the needle across my face, burning me in the process.
He paused, checked I was okay, I gave him the hand signal (pre-arranged – how cool is that?) then continued a few more seconds before removing the needle.
Naturally, my first question was: “what the hell was that?” It turned out I was one of those unlucky and rare patients to experience the needle coming into direct contact with a main nerve. I’m not sure if it was actually painful, but it was a bloody strange and rattling experience.
The burning pain I’d felt wasn’t hot injection liquid spraying over me, it was an electric shock pulsing through the main nerve that runs from the inside of my tooth and mouth down through my chin and into my neck. Stupidly, I asked why electricity was applied to numb a tooth then it dawned on me – it was my body’s own electricity and that’s why I jolted. I was to think of it as touching a live wire with a screwdriver.
The problem with teeth is that they are all connected to nerves that run in all directions down into one’s body. One single touch with a foreign metal object and BOOM!
The filling was easily and quickly applied but afterwards I felt somewhat rattled. I couldn’t speak properly for my swollen face (it wasn’t actually swollen, just numb) but I seemed to find myself garbling nonsense and feeling a little unsteady on my feet.
I got myself together, paid up, had a wee joke and a laugh with the receptionist, then left. Thankfully my wife arrived to collect me and take me home (via the ATM for her Ladies Night) and when I got home I slept most of it off, managing to eat a warm portion of Shepherd’s Pie later on.
And So To Today
I feel much better this morning after a good sleep and have a few things to tick off from today’s GDR, not least, another few pages of BACCARA BURNING. Later, me and my daughter are having another film night, with The Empire Strikes Back now being firmly looked forward to by all.
Since I successfully introduced her to Star Wars last week, Han Solo and friends have been the topic of many a conversation at home. Empire is my favourite of all the films in the series and if it’s been long since I last saw Star Wars, it’s been even longer since I last watched Empire.
Reggae Britannia
There’s a bunch of Reggae / SKA related footage on BBC4 (TV) tonight. Full information on Reggae Britannia can be found here, but here’s a run down of tonight’s awesome line-up:
21:00–22:30
Reggae Britannia
Documentary looking at reggae’s influence on British music and society since the 1960s.
22:30–00:00
BBC Four Sessions
Reggae Britannia: Live concert featuring Big Youth, Ken Boothe, Neville Staple, Ali Campbell and others.
00:00–00:45
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Reggae Concert from the Edinburgh Festival: The Cimarons, Winston Groovy, Dennis Alcapone, the Marvels, Nicky Thomas and the Pioneers. (R)
00:45–01:30
Rock Goes to College
The Specials: The Specials perform at the Colchester Institute in 1979, playing hits such as Gangsters. (R)
Have a great Friday, people – enjoy being on the cusp of another weekend!
SPECIAL OFFER
Share this:
Like this:
About Colin Galbraith
Keen runner, thriller author, Madness fan, Mets fan, St Mirren fan/owner, rabbit tamer, outstanding fake faller. Loves cannolis & espressos. #LFGM