Dentist

I was getting a slightly sore tooth under the cap that was put on last year over a root canal treatment, but I was ignoring it as usual. The dentist is just one of those things you don't really want to get around to putting money aside for! Very easy to procrastinte - oops, it's raining today, can't go to the dentist. Oh dear, have to go to the supermarket today, no time to go to the dentist. Amy's got asthma - can't go to the dentist.

Then on Saturday my tooth broke! At first I thought it was some glass in my Moro and thought I was in for a free carton of complimentary Moros, but no, it was MY TOOTH, or about 1/4 of a molar. So I had to go, didn't I?

I first went on Tuesday for an assessment and some antibiotics, and came back today for...hmmm. And herein lies my problem. Why do I go to this dentist? a) he' fast b) he has an appointment system so no waiting c) he is a quick and liberal user of pain relief. But he does not speak English and my medical Japanese does not encompass dentistry terms. So basically I had no idea what he was going to do. I remember lying down and trying to remember where I had heard 'hazusu' before and if it meant 'drill' or 'remove'...

Turns out it meant drill, which was lucky as I didn't have a shot. That does make it a bit nerve-wracking, wondering if the drill is going to hit a nerve. I try to think of childbirth and breathe...relax...release the tension - having stiff shoulders does NOT decrease the liklihood of the drill slipping. And like childbirth, where having no drugs means you can jump off the bed when it's all over, have a shower, and go back to normal, so not having a shot means I can have a cup of tea when I get home and eat normal food for dinner.

I managed the last root canal treatment without drugs, wonder if I can do it again. Or should I demand the shot and console myself that it's good for my diet?