The Dentist

“Wow! That's really big. It's enormous.” These words did not bring me any comfort as the dentist checked my mouth to inspect the tooth that had broken last week. He told me the entire front half of the tooth had broken off, and the back half was a filling he had put there five years ago. He wasn't sure if he could save it. I like my dentist. We've become friends over the forty years that he has taken care of my teeth. He is a kind and gentle man. I try to be a good patient, but I really am a wimp. I hate sitting in the dentist's chair. “Open wide,” he said and he went to work. First there were needles. Lots of needles. I don't get numb easily. Then there was the the little jack hammer drilling away the part he didn't like, along with the the suction machine, the blow gun, an erector set and the little sunlamp. I didn't know my mouth could open that far. He poked and punched and prodded around in my mouth for almost two hours. Finally he was done. I still have my tooth, but if it breaks again it will have to come out. Teeth wear out over time. I had done everything right and the tooth still broke. This getting old stuff has a lot of disadvantages.