Thin white thread…
Over the last few days I have been getting an uncomfortable sensation in the right hand side lower jaw. I suppose in fairness I was told by my dentist 4 weeks ago that the very back tooth had a cracked filling and that I needed a second visit but life got in the way and I never got around to it.

It came to ahead on Thursday night when the jaw got progressively worse and by 9pm I was in almost constant pain. The pain was similar to the sensation I guess you would get from getting a small but constant electrical shock through each and every tooth in my lower right jaw. By 1am I was considering punching myself to distract the pain and by 3am I was considering getting the Black and Decker out to do the necessary myself. To make matters worse I had a job interview at 11.30am the next morning.

Well there was no way I was suffering the pain a moment longer than I had to, especially considering that pain killers of all varieties had provided no relief. So I took myself to my dentist at 8.30am and begged for mercy. By 10.00am no-one had seen me and with the pressure of the interview looming I was starting to panic. At 10.15 I was taken in for an x-ray and at 10.30 the dentist explained that I had an abscess below the tooth and that I had two options. A) Removal or B) some root work at the next appointment. I asked which was best long term option and he replied the root work so I went for that assured by the fact that he said he would do a temporary job that would end the pain. (little did I know)

10.35am he drilled out the filling that was in the tooth and then through to the gum. I was aware of him fiddling with a few things and so I opened my eyes. I was in time to see him pass what looked like a small piece of thin white thread to the nurse. Once he was finished and thinking no more of it I wandered to the reception to pay my bill with a well swollen mouth and a thankful heart that the pain had ceased, however the best was yet to come. The receptionist pleasantly looked at me and assured me that the next visit wouldn’t be as painful as he had already removed the nerve. What a weird mix of relief, horror and nauseousness came over me. I can only assume that the thin piece of white thread I seen passed to the nurse was in fact the nerve of my tooth.

Well it was 10.50 and my interview started in 40 minutes and so I rushed to it… The interview went ok and I’m glad to say that my biggest fear of drooling didn’t come true! It will be interesting to find out if I got the job.