Off to the Dentist

The day has come, and I’m in the space only known to people with important appointments. It’s that gap of about an hour where it’s too soon to set off and there doesn’t seem enough time to do anything useful.

It’s the last day for second class post in the UK, and I have cards to send, but I can’t concentrate. There isn’t even time for a decent post.

I’ve been told to eat before going, which isn’t normally a problem, but today I don’t feel hungry.

Today I have a painful appointment with the dentist and come face to face with mortlity.

The wisdom tooth I had taken out twenty years ago was a routine thing, lots of people have that done.

The one I lost last year had been giving trouble for over 30 years and finally disintegrated under pressure from a Mint Imperial, so it worried me, but not too much.

Today I am losing an adult tooth to decay. Memories of my parents telling me to brush properly are coming back to haunt me. It’s neglect and old age and death rolled into one and I can feel one of my feet sinking into the grave.

I’m half expecting the dentist to wear a shroud and hack the tooth out with his scythe.

Ah well, time to go now…

16 thoughts on “Off to the Dentist

  1. Andrew Petcher

    You are brave. I hate going to the dentist, it is the memory of going when I was a child. I don’t want to accuse people without evidence but I am convinced that they did unnecessary work to boost their NHS income and by the time I was 20 or so all of my teeth were drilled and filled. Bits chip off now quite regularly and I should go to the dentist more regularly but I don’t!

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  2. Laurie Graves

    Oh, how I can identify with you! My teeth, too, are crumbling away. At such a rate that I am planning on buying dental insurance in the New Year. I’ve put off dental work because of the cost, but there’s only so long you can do that. Sigh. Good luck!

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