Abscess of Money

My teeth were perfect once upon a time, well maybe perfect in 1961, but my choppers would have been judged to be too crooked to be seen at the present time. It didn’t matter much to me because metal was only imposed when your teeth penetrated your nose. Now if there is one tooth out of line, they strap all 32 teeth together to make sure things are aligned. I guess that’s fine, but my father would have refused to pay the money no matter how big the overbite.

    I remember the night that fifteen dollars was too much to pay when asked by a dentist if your son needed a shot to subdue the torture he was going to put through. My dad said he would be all right, go ahead and start the root canal, never mind the shot!

    I started to sweat when I heard those words my father had just said. There was nothing I could do but hold on tight to the frightfully cold reclined chair, stare into the abyss of a 1940’s unnatural light and a wait for the drill to begin to penetrate my mouth. I had to remember there was a reason I was in this monstrous chair, it was because I had an abscess tooth and there was no way out. 

    I closed my eyes and started to pray, “Oh Lord it’s too late to ask for an extra fifteen dollars so please just make it OK”. 

    The dentist started the drill, and asked me if I was alright? I nodded yes as I was turning white. All I was thinking was to start the drilling so I could soon go home. My wish was his command; the gyrating drill struck my tooth as it began to whine. Suddenly the dental auger began to bore into my pitiful tooth and it began to spit and howl. It seemed forever, but I knew the end was near if only I could endure my painful thoughts and that awful drill. Finally the shrill sound of the dentist’s tool died, and he grumbled a big sigh, and muttered something like there was only one more task to be done.

    The canal was finally open and he could eliminate the pain by extricating the nerve that was driving me insane.

While balancing a minuscule fiber on the tip of a miniature pair of tweezers, the dentist started waving it as to surrender. All of a sudden the pain disappeared and I knew the torture was over. I never thought the painful memories would remain, especially the fifteen dollars that are still etched in my brain.