I had a toothache that came on gradually then suddenly and had to have an emergency root canal today. My general dentist referred me out to this endodontist, an Irish guy who looks and sounds exactly like Anthony Hopkins.
Wait, no, hang on.
Anthony Hopkins.
That’s him!
Dude has to know it too. I do realize Hopkins has a beautiful Welsh accent, and Irish and Welsh are not the same, but to a scared Cajun?
I was laying there being all still for the xrays when he snuck in silently behind me. Out of nowhere his face is right there beside mine and his voice a few inches from my ear, “Hello.”
Just like Dr. Lector says it, but without the “Clarice.”
I am not exaggerating when I tell you I jumped six inches out of that chair.
Cause see, last night I tossed and turned all night trying not to think about how that guy would remind me of this once he put on his surgical mask:
Before he did that, I got them to run me a truck driver dose of Nitrous, which in the end made him seem more like a leprechaun than a liver/fava bean kinda guy (that shit is the The Shit, that laughing gas).
As I was leaving he asked me send him a post card. I asked him if he preferred Athens or Santorini and he said, “You’re not really going to send me a post card, everyone says they’re going to send me one and I never get any.”
I hardly ever send out postcards, but I will this time for one main reason. While he was working on my tooth he said, “I can see what’s causing your pain, I’m removing it right now.”
That’s magical to me.
The Show Must Go On 
Root canals are no fun. I have really good teeth due to genetics and growing up in an area of Colorado that has natural high flouride in the water. But my two back teeth on the bottom were misshapen, so one dentist filled them. One of the fillings failed, and I had to have a root canal. It didn’t hurt, but my usual dentist drilling it out to get it ready for the endodontist hurt like hell. I still have the other filling, it’s in it’s late 30’s now.
At least it happened before you got overseas.
I have such sensitive teeth, almost all of my molars have had root canals. I’ve never really been able to eat or drink cold things without pain.
But yeah, I am so glad this didn’t happen on vacation.
“Silence” is one of my all-time favorite flicks. Did you know it was the last film to win all five top Oscars? Before that, it was One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I’ve seen Silence probably 20 times, and it never gets old . . .
You HAVE to send him a postcard. You’re like, morally obligated to do so.
“I do realize Hopkins has a beautiful Welsh accent, and Irish and Welsh are not the same, but to a scared Cajun?” Tee hee, you’re funny.
yikes. Although I would have told him to his face and asked him to say “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”
Wow, I love that nitrous, they don’t give that out much anymore. It is the only thing about the dentist I have ever liked.
Brian, we just happened to watch it a couple of weeks ago so it was fresh on my mind. Both Silence and Cuckoo’s Nest are on my favs list.
Rassles, I’m thinking about writing something about how a friend is having me for dinner.
Thanks Ginny. You keep ME pretty cracked up all the time.
Merlisser, I wish I had the guts to do that. I really do.
Michele, Julie said she’s thinking about getting a gold tooth just so she can go back to the dentist for some nitrous.
At least it wasn’t Orin Scrivello …
I had to look that one up. Still haven’t seen Little Shop of Horrors.
Good grief. I step away from your blog for a few days only to discover that you’ve had surgery by cannibal… Geez…
I’m hoping it went well, honey and I’m SO excited for your trip coming up so soon…
(I was particularly amused by the way you started with the nice, handsome, silver-haired Hopkins and moved on over to the freak-masked one… LOL… Way to spin a tale “scared cajun”, way to spin a tale!”)
Hey Sulya, yeah he did a great job on that tooth and although he scared me at first his voice turned out to be quite soothing. I made good on my promise and sent out that postcard yesterday.
Good for you for sending out the postcard. Great post. had me smiling the whole time. your interjection of the perfect pictures at the right place are inspiring. Now I need to go thank Norm over at http://constantchangeisthenorm.blogspot.com/ for linking this.
Thanks Raolin, I need to do the same and thank Norm, and thanks for telling me about it, I didn’t realize he’d done that.
Yo Kitty,
Gotta admit I’m a nitrous lover. Brought back some groovy flashbacks of dentist visits past.
Good thing Dr. L didn’t mention anything about dinner with fava beans and nice bottle of chianti.
Hey Julie, you get that gold tooth yet?
Workin’ on it. That Jacob the Jeweler guy has a looooong waiting list for custom grills.
You crack me up.