OneAndOneIs2

I just got back from the dentist. I phoned them the other day about a checkup and was told "Not until July" but then I phoned them this morning because a hole had appeared in my tooth, and was told "This afternoon at 3"

Go figure.

I don't like fillings.

I have no problem with dentists, nor any of the usual "Oh no, not the DENTIST!!" issues. Largely because until a few years ago, I had never had anything but a checkup and an all-clear at the dentist.

Then half a tooth caved in, and suddenly, it all went downhill.

It was the tooth at the back, on the right lower jaw. The filling was painless, because after all, when you go in with a chunk of tooth missing, the drilling is fairly minimal...

I've had a couple of other occasions when he's decided that what I really needed was for him to remove chunks of enamel, however, and every one of them has been agony. It's one of the other traits I seem to have inherited from my mother: An immunity to dentist anaesthetic.

It's not that it has no effect. Oh no, my tongue, jaw and lip go totally dead. It's just that my actual tooth remains unaffected.

Last time it happened, he told me in future to be sure to tell whoever did the work that I needed the maximum dose and a longer than usual wait. This I duly did today. And it worked: I got the occasional twinge, but it was by and large a painless filling. Quite impressive, considering how long she was drilling for.

The only downside, of course, is that it takes forever for the numbness to wear off now, so I'm going to sit and feel grumpy for a while until I can talk properly again.

I'm going back for a checkup tomorrow.

Don't ask.