To Be Numb

The day after I had Beck, I was eating a very soft roast beef stew. When some meat got lodged in my teeth, I fished in out and a chunk of my tooth came out too. So, nearly 2 weeks later, it was time to get my tooth taken care of.

I marched into the dentist and took my Novocaine shots like a (wo)man. Then we waited for me to get numb. And waited.

"Can you feel this?" the hygienist kept asking.

"Some of it," I replied as she continued poking around my mouth with a sharp thing-y. (As you can see I'm totally up on the technical terms of dental equipment.)

After nearly 30 minutes the dentist came back and gave me more Novocaine. I lost track and I can't remember whether I got 4 shots or 5. Ordinarily, I would be able to count to 5 without getting mixed up, but when the counting comes with a sharp thing poked into your gums.... Well, I lose track.

That worked in less than 10 minutes. The dentist worked lighting fast and my filling was soon in.

This all began around noon. At 2:30 I was dribbling cream of wheat down my chin. At 4:30 I tried to eat a piece of toast. I could finally feel my face again around 7:00, and even then, not completely. But, oh, how my jaw ached. I feel like I have TMJ.

Now it's the next day and I still have that TMJ feel. I must tell you that I almost never get Novocaine. I either get my watch spots sanded with a whisper jet or I have them drill with no Novocaine. I've only done that once, but it wasn't bad. It's uncomfortable while they drill, but then it's done. None of this not being able to open my mouth for a week. *Sigh.*

I feel better now.