Novocain and Wine Tasting? Part, 1

A few months ago as my friends at Seghesio Family Vineyards were planning a trip to the Midwest, they let me know about a wine tasting event they were going to be holding at Vivo in Chicago on a Monday night a few weeks ago.  Of course I immediately responded that I would be attending. 

I quickly put the event in my calendar and even put a few hours around it so that I could make sure that nothing would encroach on my fully enjoying the event.  I was really looking forward to it as they were planning on showcasing some yet-to-be released wines.

But as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men . . .

First, my tooth began to bother me.  Really bother me.  I had been experiencing some pain off and on that I attributed to a sinus infection.  After one course of antibiotics I thought it was pretty much solved the problem.  But then it came back again. This time with a vengeance.  It was so bad that I even made an appointment to go to the dentist.

If you know me well, you know I visit the dentist regularly.  When my tooth hurts or every six years whichever comes first.

I called and the receptionist, in her very upbeat and happy tone, asked if I was making an appointment for a teeth cleaning and checkup. I almost laughed out loud.  I wish I could say that I always follow the dentist ritual to a “t” but that’s just not the case.

I’m sure they’re nice enough people but I’m just not a big fan. I guess it was my childhood dentist who put a kibosh on my frequent dental visits.  My brothers and I often refer to him as “Fill ‘em again” Forrester.  That’s because, over time, just about every filling he put in our mouths growing up fell out. Usually at the most inopportune times. 

That and the fact that apparently he didn’t believe in Novocain.  Year after year, visit after visit I can still feel the slow drill working on every one of my nerves. 

In the years after, I have never really found a dentist that could effectively administer the Novocain. You see, after getting three or four shots of Novocain, the dentist would proceed and I would feel every little spin of the drill.  I’m sure that there are more than a few dental chairs that have dents from where I grabbed the armrest.  

 And if feeling every little thing wasn’t bad enough, when I left the dentist’s office my entire mouth would go numb and I would spend the next four hours drooling all over myself.

Now you know why I don’t like to visit the dentist.  So when I had this latest pain checked out it appears that the nerve under the tooth I spent $2,400 capping two years ago was dying and that left me with needing a root canal on that tooth.

I’m sure that I’m going to be paying for my dentist’s trip to Paris with the work on my teeth.  I know my last dentist took his whole staff to the Bahamas for a week – all expenses paid.  I’m sure over the years I paid for at least a couple of those trips. 

The worst part of this whole problem was that, after taking another round of antibiotics, the earliest that my schedule and theirs could get together was . . . you guessed it . . . the Monday of the Seghesio wine tasting event.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has these issues come up.  I’ve heard of friends who needed emergency dental surgery in remote parts of Mexico. 

So as I’m making the appointment I wanted to ensure that by the time I got to the event the Novocain would have worn off.  The last thing I wanted to do at this event was dribble wine down the front of my shirt. Not very classy is it?

All my planning and blocking out my calendar went for naught as someone booked an interview with a potential employee between the root canal and the wine tasting.  Alas.  Big sigh.  

I guess the only thing to do now was look for a wine tasting appropriate bib. 

Next week I’ll finish the story. Trust me when I say while it doesn’t start well, it ends up pretty tasty! In the meantime, I’d love to hear your dental/event stories.