Just having a tooth reconstructed

I'm currently blogging from the waiting room at the Birkbeck Dentistry in Sidcup. My dentist, Peter Walsh has been drilling away at a damaged tooth with an old filling, to prepare it for a ceramic reconstruction. The resulting hole is sprayed with reflective powder and a 3D image is taken. A machine then buzzes away to construct a ceramic copy to fit the hole exactly (I suppose there must be some kind of tooth-printer driver.) When that is done, the ceramic piece is inserted into the tooth and bonded to the tooth by ultra-violet light.

Injecting, drilling and excavation takes about 45 minutes. Waiting time for the new bit is about 40 minutes (fitting it only takes 5 minutes.) Being a high-tech practice, the dentist has made internet-connected computers available in the waiting room. What a sound chap! (Mind you, the treatment will cost me a few bob. Thank goodness for my parishioners and their generous Christmas offering!)

I always find the dentist's chair a good place to meditate on the passion of Christ. It helps put the odd twinge in perspective.

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