I removed a wisdom tooth today. Top left. It had no partner at the bottom left, so it was growing down beyond the normal line of teeth, which was apparently bad for its roots and those of its neighbour, so it had to come out.

I was expecting pain and suffering, and there was absolutely none of it. Local anaesthetic, some mild discomfort at the corner of my mouth due to the angle of access, a few hours of numbness, and that was it. The printed care instructions had several bullet points about painkillers, and what to do if over-the-counter ones aren’t enough, and I didn’t feel the need to take anything at all.

The dentist’s assistant offered me my tooth and I wasn’t going to say no. Although I doubt the tooth fairy will give me a coin for it. Looking at it, it barely has any roots. I guess it really was ready to come out.