Root canal refers to the space within the root of a tooth, and its origins in the civilized world can be traced all the way back to this past November when Bossy woke up in the middle of the night with mouth pain.
At first Bossy thought perhaps she flossed too rigorously. And then Bossy thought maybe she had a piece of her obsession jammed between her teeth.
And then Bossy thought maybe she thinks too much.
So instead of thinking, Bossy made an appointment with her dentist, who poked around and took a couple of X-rays and announced his hopeful verdict:
The end! Except it’s not. Because Bossy’s dentist also reminded Bossy she has a crack in one of the suspected teeth that disappears into an ancient filling. In fact, it’s the very same crack Bossy’s dentist has been warning Bossy about for years wrapped in a lost decade:
In any event which isn’t just any event but this exact event, Bossy returned home and, in an effort to rule out her initial diagnosis, she tried not to clench her jaw — a task so difficult it led Bossy to gnash her teeth. And unfortunately, it quickly became apparent this wasn’t responsible for Bossy’s pain.
So Bossy returned to her dentist, where he dug out her old filling and discovered that Bossy’s crack extends beyond what’s visible to the naked eye.
Next Bossy’s dentist applied a new filling to Bossy’s tooth and explained that often a new filling is all that’s necessary to seal an existing crack!
Except in those cases the new filling doesn’t work! For instance, as a totally random example, in the case of Bossy!
At which time it becomes necessary for a human to plow a needle shaped drill into the depths of one’s pulp chamber, replacing the infected material with gutta-percha.
If you enjoyed this post, you may want to read about the secret Bossy’s dentist shared that changed Bossy’s life and saved her teeth. Otherwise known as Know what’s worse than heroin?
Liz says
January 2, 2012 at 5:08 pmYour muppet dentist cracks me up. And looks suspiciously like my dentist.
Amber Star says
January 2, 2012 at 5:09 pmOh…poor Bossy! I had one Dec. 28th and knows how you feel, I guess. Hope you feel better soon and the tmj thing is nothing to sneeze at, either. Ugg
Sam Torum says
January 2, 2012 at 6:02 pmspreadingsantorum.com
Cactus Petunia says
January 2, 2012 at 6:06 pmOw! Hope Bossy’s feeling better soon. My son just had a root canal the day before Christmas, and his tooth is feeling much better, even if his wallet isn’t…
Gail K. says
January 2, 2012 at 6:55 pmAll dentists are muppets in disguise who know nothing about anything regarding teeth because, except for Dr. Tooth (of the Electric Mayhem), they don’t have TEETH!!!
So let them shoot you up full of novacaine or give you laghing gas – which will not make the bill seem funny in the least – and get it taken care of anyway. We need you this year to explain the upcoming “Election Mayhem,” I, for one, am voting for Dr. Tooth and Animal.
bossy's friend martha says
January 2, 2012 at 7:18 pmIf Bossy is anything like me (and I know you are) you will not take the pain medication they give you after the root canal procedure. My advice? TAKE IT!
Woolies says
January 2, 2012 at 8:16 pmI like to think of myself as a mature and responsible person.
Except when it comes to teeth. And the fact that I don’t trust dentists as far as I can throw them. Which, in case you didn’t already guess, isn’t very far. 6 months ago a dentist told me I needed a root canal and a crown. Which of course my insurance only covers a small pittance of. He said my tooth exploding was imminent. I said I’d wait a little bit. . 6 months later – no problems whatsoever. Of course, it might explode tomorrow.
Little Miss Sunshine State says
January 2, 2012 at 8:41 pmBossy’s dentist looks a lot like that famous Sesame Street game show host, Guy Smiley. He was the host of Squeal Of Fortune.
I think there is a dental school course called Curing Bruxism With Sadism.
Chesapeake Bay Woman says
January 2, 2012 at 9:37 pmSince I would rather hang from my toenails (somehow adhered to the branches of a tree) than go to a dentist, I skimmed through most of this post. Also, since an early/pre-teen * botched* root canal caused all of my dental phobias, I was unable to read about your experience.
Please hang me from my toenails now.
Carry on, and Happy Gutta Percha.
Amanda says
January 2, 2012 at 10:00 pmMy Mom always told me to stop eating lemons as they would ruin the enamel on my teeth. I didn’t listen. On a positive note I have never had scurvy!
heidig says
January 3, 2012 at 11:49 amI love all things lemon and I still have all of my teeth. Go figure!
Charlie says
January 3, 2012 at 4:15 pmSorry to hear about Bossy’s tooth-quake. Fracking lemons! I won’t tell Bossy my dental history. It reads like the Fall of the Roman Empire.
Jamie says
January 4, 2012 at 10:21 amI have a spot in my mouth that is killing me. When to the dentist and he did all his “find out if you need a root canal” poking and came to the conclusion I don’t. So now I’m stuck buying Sensodine toothpaste like an old person.
Blondie says
January 4, 2012 at 11:00 amI had a crack in my tooth from grinding and had 2 root canals on it (at $1K a piece). By the time they figured out it was cracked, I was miserable. SO, they extracted it. For $1K. Now I have a $3,000 hole in the back of my mouth. And you know what? I don’t even CARE! Bwah ha ha ha. When in doubt, get that thing pulled out. No one notices.
Love you, Bossy. Happy New Year!!
KathyB says
January 4, 2012 at 11:27 amPainful dental experiences, awful. I had to have two crowns replaced in 2010, but I have a good dentist that I like. Previous one was good too. He used to have ads in the phone book (80’s back when people used phone books and landlines) that said We Cater to Cowards. Would do anything to help patient relax. My ex had never been to dentist except when toothache growing up. Still goes to this guy.
When I was a child would wake myself up grinding teeth. Had braces for a couple years, no more grinding.
Takeaway from Bossy’s ordeal – use white wine to make Sangria
My daughter and I call that Anthony Robbins guy Guy Smiley. Think he looks just like him.
Happy New Year, Bossy!
Mr Farty says
January 4, 2012 at 6:00 pmFarty really needs to make an appointment with his dentist.
For what it’s worth, when I had root canal treatment, I was warned at the outset that it wouldn’t last forever. I think it held together for about 5 years before the inevitable happened.
They charge $1,000 to pull a tooth? Blondie’s kidding, right?
joeinvegas says
January 5, 2012 at 12:37 pmOH, sorry, and follow that advice, take the pain meds.
who says
January 8, 2012 at 3:55 amSee, now here is a woman who can write! And this has nothing to do with how attractive she is nor for her sense of humor. Swear to God, did you see what she did there in the last paragraph?
We all know what drugs can do to teeth, but that type of alluding to is alluring, but not too alluring (too much giving into the sweet tooth craving of lemons and the salty forms from popped corn could mean loss of tooth). But she isn’t insulting anyone with implications.
linda says
January 9, 2012 at 8:19 pmWhen you find out how NOT to grit your teeth while sleeping, please let me know!