My Maw's Overhaul

Went to the dentist today to get my bum Army filling replaced. I was unsure as to how much drilling and poking would be involved, seeing as how in my mind, all they had to do was remove the old filling and replace it. Well, to those of you that should ever experience this wonder, it's pretty much on par with getting a regular cavity filled. Lots of drilling.

To preface this story, I need to point out what appears to be a biological anomoly with me. For some reason, the "standard" amount of novocain pretty much bounces off me. My mother claims it's due to the fact that I am of Northern European ancestry and that the nerves in my jaw are more deeply set then other people, so the novocain doesn't quite get to it all the way.

So when I step foot into a dentists office, I pretty much know I'm going to experience the electric shock that is the drill going too deep into my tooth at no fault of the dentist. My dentist I currently have probably thought he was going well above and beyond by giving me a heavy dose of novocain (I hadn't told him about my nerve issue at this point). Kudos to him. It made my right side of my face numb, and my tongue numb to the point where I was afraid to talk at work because I was slurring like a drunkard.

Suffice to say, when the point hit that he buzzed too deep and I jittered (infront of a hot dental assistant no less), he was amazed. He double checked the numbness of my tongue and lower lip to which I confirmed was still numb, and he went back to drilling...but more cognizant of my body language.

After it was over he apologized for "buzzing" me. (which came as a shock because Army dentists probably don't really care). I explained that I pretty much feel pain on every filling, and that's why I hate it so much when I have one. He seemed impressed that I powered through anyway and shook my hand after I told him thanks for the speedy filling (which was pretty quick).

So it was a successful visit other then the fact that I made my dentist feel bad. I never thought something like that would ever bug me...or even be an issue.