Since we're swapping tooth stories:
All 4 of my wisdom teeth have been removed; all impacted and painful. Most painful experience was the tooth taken out in the US when I was visiting in 1983. Was referred to this old geezer who couldn't get a grip on the upper wisdom. He calls for the aide to assist him. No dice. He tells the receptionist to come help. Then at one point he takes a large screwdriver like thing in one hand, a hammer in the other, and starts banging away. I thought my skull would disintegrate. He finally got it out and I went home. A couple of hours later, that side of my face was the size of a football. I didn't know which hell I had been transported to. It took about 3 days to get back to normal. Being a visitor to the US, I was crestfallen at the experience I had had at the mecca of healthcare.
Back home, another one had to come out. The dentist worked alone and took about a half hour to get it out, no problems. It was odd because it had six small roots instead of the usual two large ones. I gave him permission for it to be displayed at the dental college.
When I decided to get braces at 31 (every dentist who looked in my mouth told me I needed braces bad), 4 teeth had to be extracted to make room for the realignment. Two were milk teeth canines that never fell, and two were their replacements that, having no place to go, went and embedded themselves into the roof of my mouth. Since the roof of the mouth had to be cut and stitched, a dental surgeon was going to do the job.
I showed up, and they wanted to put me under. I refused, because I had to drive back home. They almost canceled the whole thing, but I persuaded them to do it under local. They made me sign a waiver, though. Four nurses held me down in the beginning, but let go when I didn't move a muscle as they worked. I din't feel any pain at all, but the smell of blood, and the smell of the drill slicing into enamel, and the splatter of blood was all very yuck. They made me wait for an hour before letting me go home.
I somehow drove home (~ 25 miles), bleeding like a struck pig all the way, gauze in my mouth. Apparently nobody called the cops on seeing a gruesome figure drive on the freeway.
Wouldn't do this again, though.
