Last of my Wisdom

That phrase just has an odd ring to it. However, as of this evening I no longer have wisdom teeth bothering me. However, the extraction was of the kind that you hope you never have to worry over. Sometimes I hate having sensitive intuition, because it started screaming at me the moment the kid walked into the room. He had an overly friendly, Golden Retriever quality about him. You know, overeager to please, but not exactly sure how best to do it. Fortunately an older man came in behind him, I could read 'experience' all over his face, so I did relax somewhat. Not for long however.

My last extraction was a breeze by comparison, that doctor used a surface numbing gel on the inner and outer side of the gums, then left for about 10 minutes before he even bothered to touch my teeth. I literally felt nothing but the pressure he warned me about. This kid only put the gel on the outside, claiming it did nothing on the inside (he's wrong incidentally). So he starts with the Novocain on the outside and it was a small prick, but otherwise fine. When he moved to the inside of the gums however, the pain of injection was more substantial, especially since I'd had no surface numbing (thanks a bunch) and since he kept pulling out then back in. He stabbed me several times and each time I'd jump, he'd then tell me to settle down. I'm not sure what exactly he thought I was going to do.

He stood for maybe 30 seconds, then started poking around the tooth. It was fine right up until he started pushing in on it and I cried out slightly in pain. "oh, not quite numb?!" Gee, what gave it away I wonder. So back in he went with the needle, spilling more in my mouth I think than he got in the gum. By the way, that stuff tastes NASTY. Then he tries again, and again I cry out in pain. About this time the mentor (professor?) came back to see what was taking so long. The youngster told his mentor that I was still hurting, so the old guy took the needle, opened my mouth and jabbed a previously as yet unknown nerve. "That's the one," he claimed as I jumped, yet again.

Starting to see a pattern here yet?!

So then the youngster took back over and wrestled my mostly disintegrated wisdom tooth from it's previously secure bed. He packed gauze on the extraction site and I sat up. He looked me over and exclaimed, "do you want to sit for a minute, you look really pale." Well duh!! I was shaking like a leaf in a full hurricane gale! I finally did get up and accepted the extra gauze and instruction sheet from the front desk lady.

"Did they give you any prescription the last time you were here?" The youngster asked me, I shook my head no and tolk him I just used ibuprofen for the pain. He nodded and I stepped out the door. Then I went out of the building and promptly collapsed upon the wooden bench that was out there. No way was I going to get in my car and try to drive while in such a shaken state. After several minutes I did go to my car and drove home. The shakes subsided, I concentrated carefully on my driving.

The end result: one removed wisdom molar, a dull aching pain at the extraction site... in spite of the Novocain they practically drenched me in, and a very numb face, from the eyebrow on that side to my chin, including the nostril and part of the ear. It's very disturbing to have a slightly numb eye I must say. At least it is now done. I truly hope I never require another tooth extraction.