Hi folks – I’m back from the brink. Yes, this tooth you see here is one of four I had pulled. This one, with its hooked roots, was the most difficult to remove. The dentist was surprised when I asked to take one home, as if he'd not been asked that before. He hesitated, but when I said "Doctor, I've lived with these teeth for 25 years*, I'm not sure I'm ready to part this abruptly with them." He relented, and gave me the 'prize' tooth. You'll notice the missing 'tail' on one of the roots. That was stuck in my jaw for ten minutes until he fished it out. All in all, so many fond memories. . .Suffice to say, I survived. The overall experience was one of the most bizarre 45 minutes I’ve ever had. The first few minutes were the worst. The realization that the doctor had no other pain control plan for me other than Novocain and nitrous oxide. The searing pain as the doctor administered the first shots of what felt like molten copper into my jaw. The sight of the gothic-looking instruments sitting on a tray next to my head. The sounds of the teeth as they were gripped and pulled.
I’m afraid it’s all to soon to recount the detail of this nightmare. Thinking about it makes me nauseated. Plus, it's time for my salt water rinse. Be back with more soon, and for a full account of the wisdom tooth extraction, please tune into our next podcast (# 37) which should be posted in about one week.
- Tom
* Wisdom teeth usually erupt from the gumline in your mid-teens
