My Tooth

Cecily Walker-Cox

Picture this: a group of girls in a Food Technology classroom, hungry and bored. Last lesson of the day, and it was dragging on... and on... and on. The teacher was typing away at her computer, tip- tapping loudly at the keys; two or three girls were finishing off their apple crumbles and putting them carefully into the ovens; another group of two was wiping down their bench and sink, moaning about it the whole time; the rest of us were trying not to fall asleep on top of where we had just cleaned- that would not have been hygienic. Can you imagine? Ten of us in the stifling hot room, made even more unbearable by the ovens that were turned on at full blast. All of us were boiling, and when you're too warm, you get restless. Well, we did at least!

My friends and I were playing around as you do; nothing too serious, just pushing each other around and pulling each other's hair. We were just joking about. All of a sudden, things got a lot more serious.

I splashed some water at a friend, just a little. She splashed me back. It went on for a while, back and forth. We weren't really worrying about the consequences of our actions, just living in the moment.

I took a step towards the sink, and then another...

And then I slipped.

My head went flying forwards towards the edge of the Formica bench- top.

I felt more then heard a huge CRRRRRACK and went into shock. I didn't dare move my head.

'HELF ME!' I shouted, 'MY TOOGHF! IT'S... IT'S GWON!' My voice was distorted because of the way my face was squished up against the table and the amount of tears falling down my red face.

The whole class was silent for a moment, and then sprang into action. The friend who I was splashing water with a moment before helped me to stand up. Another girl collected the tooth and said, 'It's only half of your tooth, not all of it!' The teacher dialled the extension line to the nurse's office and spoke, rather calmly considering the situation, into the phone. I was hurried off to the Medical Room where the dental hospital and my mother were called. She was frantic, and told me that she was going to drive all the way down to Edinburgh, even though I tried to make out that I could survive without her (I'm a boarder at school).

I spent about three hours in the hospital with Miss Tomlinson, the head of boarding, where I discovered that the crack I had in my tooth was diagonal and left me with about half. (I had not looked into a mirror until that point, thinking that I would start crying uncontrollably again if I did!). It was also discovered that the crack was very close to the nerve, and that it might die! I was threatened with root canal treatment, which set me off crying again. It was also discovered that not the entire tooth was there- a lump of tooth was missing in the Food Tech class room! I also found out that the dentist who was treating me used to be a pupil at my school. Talk about coincidence!

The dentist told me that I may not be able to have a cap put on that night and that I might have to go around with half a tooth for a week and half.

Disaster: I had a social with another school that Friday. Finally she made a decision- a temporary cap. At least I would have a tooth for school the next day!

My mum took me to my own dentist the next morning and on the way I was dizzy, had a head ache, and was feeling very nauseas. Just as we were about to park my dad's brand new car, I threw up all over myself (in my school uniform). It was really disgusting!

The dentist told me that, according to the X- Rays I had at the hospital the night before, I had fractured my upper jaw bone. Great. I was also told that I had concussion and could probably do with a few days at home. As I am a boarder, being told that I had to have a few days at home was amazing news.

We encountered a few problems along the way: I had my exchange partner from Canada over. She had arrived just two days before. I could barely stand up without falling over, let alone walk around the boarding house collecting my belongings. Whenever I got into the car, I felt as if I were going to vomit.

It was going to be an eventful journey home.

Three and a half hours later we arrived in Aberlour. I was actually very proud of my story, and narrated it to my whole family, one after the other. They were not in the least bit surprised that it was ME who had broken my tooth along with the host of other problems!

I still have that temporary cap, three and a half months on, and there are so many problems with it I won't even attempt to list them! But really, I am very thankful that it wasn't my nose or even my skull that took the brunt of that fall!