Humor in Uniform 5/30/2010

When I was stationed at Loring AFB, ME in the early 60's, I developed an horrendous toothache. After going to the dentist on base and having a bone jarring removal of an impacted wisdom tooth which was the culprit, I figured I was in for some relief before long. Brother....was I wrong. My jaw and cheek after a couple days were all discolored and swollen like I had a tennis ball in my mouth, and it was painful beyond measure. Finally, Saturday night I awoke with a mess on the pillow and agonizing pain so my wife drove me out to the base dispensary. The dr. on call took one look at me and filled me with anitbiotics and a pain killer, then looked in my mouth....only to get highly PO'd. I had told him about the wisdom tooth extraction already. He got on the phone and called the dentist that had done it and told him to get his butt over there....it was 3:00am. Turned out when he stiched the jaw closed after the extraction, he also accidentally sewed the inside of my cheek to the jaw, creating a little pocket for all kinds of things to lodge in there and ferment. He got reamed out by the higher ranking ER dr., I got the stiches removed and everything cauterized, then sent home with some real good pain killers. My CO called the house the next day to check on me, seems the dentist had to go to the squadron in person to explain my absence...done at the behest of the ER dr. Was one of the worst pains I've ever withstood. The next toothache I had...another wisdom tooth, I went to a civilian dentist and paid for it myself.