[grinin]

Hmmm, I had my wisdom teeth removed about 12-13 years ago. My experience was considerably different than most.

There was no IV, nitrous or shots (other than novacaine) and I was completely awake through the entire procedure. They did recommend that I bring someone to drive me home afterwards so my wife volunteered. Nowadays, I figure it was because she could not pass up such an obvious opportunity to get in the last word.

The dentist was a 50+ year old hispanic fellow, small in stature, with an extremely thick accent (about every 5th word was indistinguishable). This did not prevent him from chit chatting the entire time, which I always find amusing when they have retractors and tools down your throat. Fortunately, my wife was doing most of the talking. That is, until she started to get nauseous.

A couple of the teeth didn't require much effort. A whack or two with the hammer and chisel. My tounge would immediately, almost reflexively visit the previous crown to check out the damage, then the pieces were extracted with pliers. It was rather disconcerting to watch as a stranger looming above, swings this mallet at your face, you hear the crack and your head jerks with the impact. Initially, I thought that it would not require much of a swing, probably just a tap, like you would use to put a nail in drywall, but it seemed far more like a swing you would use to drive a tenpenny nail into a couple of 2 x 4 's.

Anyway, one tooth, was not cooperating. It was very difficult to reach and well rooted. After adjusting the chair and finally getting the implement of destruction appropriately positioned he says something, which I did not quite understand. I probably responded with an "uh huh". He then placed his knee across my arm and on top of my chest to get some more leverage. I think it was then that the assistant had to get a chair for my wife.

The wierd thing is the whole experience seemed like a coyote/road runner cartoon. Probably because my brain said "this should hurt..... No, this should Really, Really hurt!" However, it could also be simply the vicodin that I chased with a couple of Corona's when I got home.