Dentists and Cocktails

Posted on 2009/02/14 13:11:03 (February 2009).

[Wednesday 11th February]
Spurred on by my bout of worry last night, I finally got around to going to the dentist today - I went once in 2006 when we were living in Japan, but haven't been back since. It was a mixed verdict - apparently my gums are in quite poor state, although there were lots of things that could be done to prevent that getting any worse. On the plus side my actual teeth are actually in pretty good condition considering - there's just one that I might want to think about having a small filling for, although it isn't urgent. I've always been quite lucky in that regard, having never had a proper filling in all my life, just one small "cap" or whatever you call it.

I also fit in an appointment with the hygienist and have to say even after a very quick 20 minute going over my teeth already look considerably better... Apparently though they want me to go back 4 times in the next couple of weeks...?!?!

I have always particularly disliked going to the dentists so I found the whole thing a bit traumatic today. As a result I decided I needed cheering up in the evening, and persuaded a colleague to go out for a couple of drinks. We started with a pint at the Red Lion on Crown Passage street, a charming little pub down an alleyway near St. James's Palace, but it was quite busy so we only stayed for the one.

As it happens this was the same colleague with whom I'd had a fun night out in New York last year, which culminated in the rather questionable decision to go to a cocktail bar and have Martinis. So I suppose as a bit of an homage to that event I suggested we go to the cocktail bar atop the Waterstone's on Piccadilly, wherein we had a "St. James's Martini" each. Which was nice.

Didn't stay very late, so I decided to just walk back to the flat from there. I had the proverbial bag of chips on the way home.

It is amazing how much dentistry has progressed, John - I remember the god-awful experience as a child (some 35 years back) of having a black rubber mask strapped to my face and gas fed into me, the room then spinning, my ears echoing like a drain and then my mind slowly drifting into a fug of sickening anaesthesia. It put me off dentists for life; that said, after about 12 years of not visiting a dentist's here in Greece I tooled along last summer and got my teeth sorted and was amazed just how very different the experience is now, thanks to technology like ultrasound plaque removal. Could also be something to do with the local dentist here being a very pretty lady, though :-)

Posted by Bryan at 2009/02/14 20:48:09.

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