Toothache, rain and a high dentist bill

Saturday, August 16 08

To sum up the week's camping trip to Dartmouth then - two visits to the dentist costing £166, the milk bar closed and then re-opened two days later because cow and calf couldn't handle it, rain poured, poured, stopped, poured, stopped and poured again.
But despite the gnawing, all-consuming ache a poorly tooth brings, Mrs Bennet couldn't deny the Miss Bennets had had a great time. They'd enjoyed their first experience of crabbing over the banks of the River Dart with their friends, while parents hovered with hearts-in-mouths close enough to stop offspring becoming the bait. They'd also loved dragging Mrs Bennet on belly-churning pirate ship and trauma tower rides where she was convinced her stomach was left at some unearthly height like an over-enthusiastic pancake. Eventually it dropped but it took its time doing so. She admitted participating on water slides, particularly in darkness, proved an excellent way of letting off steam in the form of the loudest scream she could muster. It should have been made in the dentist chair - but having saved it for certain rides, made the scream of excitement (mixed with frustration) even higher pitched than she'd normally allow. The first visit to the local private dentist (it had to be private didn't it?) cost £40 for a diagnosis of teeth grinding resulting in a stiff jaw. Yeah right?!
"But you don't grind your teeth. And I should know!" protested Mr Bennet.
"Precisely," replied his wife, "But then I'm only the patient."
Four days later, Mrs Bennet, having cried herself to sleep with tooth pain, woke the same dentist up early in the morning and demanded to see him.
"You do know it costs £75 for a call-out and then there will be further charges depending on what you have done," said the sleepy dentist, who made it known Mrs Bennet had woken him up.
She spent a whole hour in the dentist chair that same morning, after he rolled up in his soft-topped sports car.
"Funny that you don't ever see a poor dentist," commented Mr Bennet, knowing full well that their bank balance would probably need root canal after the visit. He had the task of entertaining Miss Bennet number three with a collection of Noddy books, a broken rocket and a collection of soft teddies from the waiting room toy box. The two older Miss Bennets were experiencing yet more fast rides with friends while the twins were being looked after by the family with the Tent Mansion.
Mrs Bennet's only consolation was listening to Five Live's commentary of the GB Rowing team win Olympic Gold. One of the team was brought up in her home town so she was particularly pleased but it just wasn't the time and place to be listening to such news. She could hardly shout for joy with a white plastic hand in her mouth could she? At this moment she would have much preferred to have bitten the said fingers, but the bill might be somewhat higher than it already was.
A permanent filling had been removed, a temporary one put in its place. Mrs Bennet needed to pray it didn't fall out during week two of the Bennet holidays. It had to stay in place until a permanent one could be put in - which meant yet another stint in the dentist chair and more charges. But at least her dentist was dishy!