I’ve had to do a little ‘wisdom tooth’ research over the last week and I’ve learned a few interesting things as well as undergoing some very intense pain. 🙁

Of the 32 adult teeth that once filled my mouth the years have not been kind to them. I now have many less than 32 and in fact one wing of our Wheaton Dental Clinic should be named after me considering the tooth repair and removal costs that I have donated to the building’s existence.

One interesting bit of wisdom tooth knowledge I acquired during my past week’s tooth suffering was that the four teeth were called wisdom teeth because they came through at a more mature age.

Years ago the dentist in my hometown announced to me after a tooth exam that my wisdom teeth were in place. I was seventeen at the time and I can remember thinking if wisdom teeth meant what it sounded like perhaps my report card grades would improve greatly. 🙂

If I really hit the books the rest of my senior year perhaps I would have the honor of giving the Valedictorian Address for my classmates.

Those dreams were quickly dashed, however, when my grades showed no signs of improving.  It became obvious when the final rankings were announced and there was my name in seventh place missing the Valedictorian honor by six places. 🙁

Don’t let that seventh place academia statistic impress you as we only had thirty-one students in our graduating class.

At the beginning of last week I had only two wisdom teeth remaining. One of them was causing pain when I chewed food. Exploring with my finger over the tender area I discovered a sack like structure.

Being the experienced biologist that I am I knew that sacks of fluid like objects hovering around my wisdom tooth required a further exam by a dental expert.

So I hustled right into the Wheaton Dental Office and a hygienist escorted me into an exam room. I believe it was in the wing that I was responsible for constructing. 🙂

I was X-rayed with that fancy machine that does a complete circle around my head. I’m sure there is a scientific name for such a machine but not being a hygienist, I have no clue to what that might be.

Then the hygienist directed me to view my X-ray and I saw the painful wisdom tooth for the first time. It was huge! It looked like a brick holding up one side of my head!

“Oh please,” I thought, “Please don’t let them take that out!”

Within minutes paperwork was in the works to send me to a specialist in Fargo who had more experience removing bricks from old people.

I had a bad feeling as the papers were being prepared. This was not going to be a run- of- the -mill tooth removal!

Arrangements had to be made as I couldn’t drive for twenty-four hours after being sedated for the tooth removal.

That would be no problem as our daughter lived in the Fargo area so she could drive me to her house after the surgery. We would spend the night there and I could drive home in the morning.

Operation day arrived. I became a little nervous when they insisted I pay the $1600 bill before I was sedated. Did they know something that I didn’t? 🙁

The next forty-five minutes were missing from my life and before I knew it I was being rolled out to the car in a wheel chair.

I felt great! Don’t those pain meds work wonders?

When we arrived at our daughter’s house we enjoyed a mini-family reunion. Our other daughter surprised us with a visit.

I was spoiled for the rest of the day as they served me my favorites, potato soup and creamed macaroni. The pain meds were still doing their job and life was good. 🙂

The following day the pain level was higher. It felt like someone had stored their bowling ball in my mouth.

Dry socket was the fear when wisdom teeth are removed and the doctor warned me about that possibility. They say it is a very painful experience.

Well by the weekend I was feeling dry socket symptoms!

After talking to the West Fargo dental specialists they decided I should return to Fargo and be reexamined and could I please be there by noon?

I would need to rely on my GPS as I had no clue where the clinic was as my daughter drove me there the morning of the operation and I was too busy visiting and not paying attention to directions.

I typed in the clinic address but made one fatal mistake. I added the Suite A as part of the address and I guess that is a no-no! 🙁

So when my GPS announced I needed to pull over because I had arrived I became immediately suspicious. We were next to a vacant lot and an abandoned McDonalds.

But worst of all it was noon and I was now officially late for my appointment. And all that I knew for sure was I was somewhere in West Fargo.

Did I panic? Yes, briefly until an old fashioned GPS building caught my eye. Right across the street stood a U.S. Post Office!

The calvary had just come to the rescue! 🙂

Entering the post office I was immediately given directions to find the dental office. It seems I was thirty-two blocks north of where I should have been. 🙁

I entered the clinic waiting room thirty minutes late and was immediately escorted to a room where another X-ray surrounding my head was performed.

After further exam by my ‘wisdom tooth’ removing doctor it was decided I indeed was developing dry socket. He had a huge syringe filled with a mysterious medicine which he shot into the cavity where just a few days ago my sixty-one- year- old wisdom tooth had rested.

Then he forced in a wad of rolled up gauze and told me to bite down and leave the medicine and gauze in place for thirty minutes.

The pain brought tears to my eyes! 🙁

Things are improving. Every day gets a little bit better. Dry socket is being overcome.

And then I had a terrible realization! I still have one more wisdom tooth remaining in my head! That means one more possibility of suffering the pain of dry socket! 🙁

Well, we’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

Bridge! That reminds me of another dentist story. You see I had this bridge in my mouth and I was up in front of class lecturing when I felt a clunk in the back of my mouth.

But I’ll share that experience at another time. Ideas for a good blog are sometimes hard to come by. 🙂

Until next time.

1