Short post today as I have just returned from the DENTIST. I loathe and fear the dentist so much that I find it difficult to explain why. When I was about 11 years old I had to have four teeth out and a brace, then a couple of years later I had to have more braces on my teeth, those individual steel type ones so that when you smile there is a blinding glare of metal. I had these in for three years and when they finally came off, it took the dentist two hours to wrench each individual steel band off my teeth. As my mother was working and could not take time off to go with me, I trotted off every month to the Eastman Dental School in Gray's Inn Road, all on my own and though I was praised by the team there as being totally 'stoic', I really feel that it was this experience that has made me so fearful in later life.
However, I had no choice, huge filling to do and I have to go back in a couple of weeks to have something else done and, all things considered, I gather my teeth are in pretty good nick (so a bit of healthy neglect did not do me any harm), but I had a sleepless night and was unable to eat any breakfast this morning as I was in such a state, and no need to tell me how daft it all is - I know.
I had warned my dentist that if I clutched him by the wrist he had to stop and I had to do this three times during the drilling process as the feeling of panic grew and grew. Next time it will not be so bad as the worst is over, but oh dear me I feel a bit wobbly.
So am now going to have a bit of rest and recovery time - cannot have a cup of tea yet sadly. Not only do I have to wait for the temporary filling to set, my left cheek and lips are still numb and if I try to have a drink, well I dribble...
Back tomorrow.
