Extraction Distraction!

On Thursday (7th July) I had a tooth extracted.  Eventually.
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You may remember that the first attempt was somewhat arduous because despite copious amount of anaesthetic it stubbornly remained sensitive and it was abandoned as a bad job.  The subsequent appointment was postponed because of illness.  So it was with some trepidation that I edged into the dental practice on Thursday!  This is fairly unusual as I’m pretty savoir faire about this kind of thing and do not consider myself particularly squeamish either.
In order to remain cool, calm and collected for the extraction I therefore focused on distraction – if that’s not a contradiction in terms!?  So….

• Prior to arriving at the dental practice, I visited Lloyds Pharmacy for advice on pain-relief.  The staff there must think I am a bit of a nutter as once a month I turn up “for my bag of drugs please, and there’s probably something in the fridge too” [insulin].  So, the chemist gave me a stern warning about the vagaries of codeine-based painkillers and paracetamol and ibuprofen and what to eat with whatever pill, and duration of time between pill-popping….
• £10.00 later and clutching three boxes of medication I wandered donw the road for…
• … the third appointment for tooth extraction.
• The molar is known as M6 – as it is one of the first adult teeth to emerge when one is about 6 years old
• M6s are the largest teeth in the mouth and are situated on each side of the middle of the jaw.  This is a surprise as we often assume that molar teeth get larger the further back they are.
• Two injections of anaesthetic were initially given.
• A second dentist was called in!
• Three dental practitioners in the room looking concerned (two dentists and the dental nurse who commented that my dentist had been worried about this procedure as it had proved so difficult previously). Gulp.
• A third injection of anaesthetic was administered!!
• A period of approximately 15 minutes passed until my dentist plunged in with the various pliers and scary looking implements and started initially by removing the crown, and then the roots. 
• One of the roots was deeply embedded and curved – which is normal apparently but increases the risk of splintering which could foresee a whole other raft of potential problems.
• After what seemed like an age, the second dentist reappeared and, it has to be said, with more brute force, yanked out the remaining root!
• A minute or two to collect my breath, swill my mouth and inspect the bloody pieces of calcium on the dental tray.
• Nice.
• Lots of advice about what and what not to do over the healing period.  For example, no alcohol, to stay quiet and do not do much physically as one must avoid raising blood pressure as this increases bleeding potential, not to swill the mouth vigorously but it’s okay to gently clean the mouth with sips of warm salty water.  If bleeding is pronounced then use 4cm square of gauze, dampened and rolled up, to plug the gap and wait for it to coagulate again.
• Nice.
• Be aware of something called dry-socket (I think) when after a couple of days it might start becoming actually more painful and bloody and, in which case, to call the practice immediately.
• Thus armed with useful and daunting information, I hoisted myself out of the dentist’s chair and went to settle up with the receptionist.
• £200.00 later I staggered out of the building into beautiful sunshine when it then took me at least 20 minutes to walk home across the fields – I’m always slow but this was doubly so!

​So far, I’ve followed all advice and – touch wood – things seem to be healing properly. I did not go into work [school] yesterday as sleep had been more scarce than usual and codeine can have a bit of a ‘spacey’ effect (well, that my excuse). 
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Events of the past few days have had an impact in other ways too.  A friend and I were meant to be enjoying this weekend in London but we have decided to cancel.  This is such shame as we booked tickets for the Duran Duran Hyde Park gig over two years ago but it was postponed twice because of lockdowns.  

We have tried to sell / give-away the concert tickets but – at the time of writing – they are still available.  We have two nights in a hotel booked and paid for and train travel booked and paid for, as well.  However, due in some part to my trepidation about tooth pain and so on, but more seriously considering major complications and stresses in my friend’s family’s current situation, and the re-emergence of covid infections ramping up, we thought it was sensible to stay at home.
This was a pretty difficult decision as we have been hard-core Duranies since attending our first “pop concert” in 1983 at the age of 14 years!  We have seen them on numerous occasions but it’s always good to add another to the list.  Oh well. 

So, I’m consoling and distracting myself by planning not very much for the following sunny days of predicted temperatures of 26 and more degrees! Hmm… Where are my sun-glasses? Where’s the sun-screen?  Where’s my book? 

​Nice! Truly.