A Trip to the Dentist

Wisdom tooth extraction has always hurt, but I cannot claim that mine felt as bad as the account given in the journal of B.H. Tolman in 1882.  And although the dentists' tools don't look all that friendly today, they do not look like they did in the 1800s.

Set of dental tools from the 1800s

In his own words here is the account:

I am and have been suffering with a very painful face for about 10 days.  One of my wisdom teeth has been trying to come through for a number of years but made but little headway and was very painful at times so Sunday I went to Brigham City to attend the S. S. Jubilee and went to the dentist, Mr. Slocum, to have it lanced.  He gave it fits by cutting through the tough, inflamed flesh until the old lance grated on the tooth at the root, O horrible.  That was about noon.  It pained me severely all that night and at early morn I might have been seen wending my way to the dentists to have it got out entirely.  When finally I got him at it he commenced by giving it another severe lancing (wuh!)  Now comes the tug.  He worked till he got those enemies of iron and steel securely fastened away down below zero and then he commenced to pull and sweat until the forceps slipped off and, O John! I thought he had pulled my lower jaw off the hinges.  I never yet fainted and now I think I never can.  On went the hardened steel again as if his life depended on it and O Zounds!  O Whiss!  A long pull and a strong pull and they slipped again.  He had to rest and I, of course, I could not, but Jimminy Crickets!  How long till the millennium?  Somehow the time passed away and he got them things on the root again, pulled and the long legged pig ants they again missed fire.  The jumping snake and tickling end of the wasps, how comforted it feels to have them machines from the lower regions fastened on.  Monkeys and Jews harps! He brought the rooster to daylight, thank you, sir.  The next time I have him pulled I think I will let him stay there till it doesn’t hurt to have Wisdom Extracted.   I now wonder if I have atoned for my sins.

Yours truly, B. H. Tolman.

This is the ninth day and she keeps me awake nights now and very sore

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