Yesterday I had my first extensive dental work in thirty years. Oh I go every six months for a cleaning but everything is always fine. On my last visit I had an old filling replaced and afterwards I couldn’t chew on that side without pain. Not wanting to return, I decided that on ly being able to chew on one side would be a great weight loss solution so I toughed it out. But then things got serious. When I travel I always eat Hot tamales (the candy). They are my treat for when I travel only. I use them to calm my nerves and they keep me from killing my children. Just a little FYI, if you eat those delicious hot candies on one side of your mouth only they are really HOT! That is when I knew I had to find the courage to recline back in the dentist chair one more time for a solution to this problem. After another visit the dentist decided that I had a cracked tooth and needed a crown. The way they find out if it is cracked or you need a root canal is to torture you with various instruments until the pain in intolerable and then make their decision. I used to brag that I loved going to the dentist but I have since changed my tune. It’s not really the pain but the noise the drill makes. I told him that if my car made that noise I would pull over immediately thinking the worst. I really didn’t look forward to hearing it for an hour inside my mouth. He turned on the t.v. for me (he is a very high tech dentist you see) but even HGTV didn’t calm me. I knew then it was serious. After an hour of drilling and surveying my tooth he said he was done. BUT he went back in and started again. I reminded him of the I am done statement and he said “I can’t help it I’m a perfectionist and I have to get it just perfect” I informed he that I was not a perfectionist and since it was my tooth I was quite certain it was just peachy. Now the wait is on to see if it improves or if I need a root canal. I will do whatever I have to do to get my hot tamales back. A mother of teens has so few true pleasures……