Lovely morning chit-chat September 2025

Have a nice trip Chelle and don't forget the photos. I've just finished cutting the grass for what (hopefully) will be the last time this year. 

All good at dentist.  Have a lovely holiday Chelle are you taking your fur baby?

Lee x

The way the weather goes, could well be a few more grass cutting sessions  We have a robotic lawnmower and it runs into November. 

We dentists are not that bad  . My patients’ check up is normally 20min. Normally spend half of the time just chatting and catching up on their lives. 

You sound like my dentist- he’s brilliant 

We always have a good chat and his wife has been thru treatment for breast cancer so he’s really tuned in with all the side effects of chemo etc 

Hi Patrick, I cut my back grass yesterday, takes the better part of an hour to do it because of frequent rests but it's a fair size anyway and I need to empty the grass box 4 times. I like the challenge although I may buy a ride on. Like Stella2020 I doubt if it'll be the last time, it's usually November when the last cut is done. 

My son has cut it since my spinal stenosis diagnosis 10 years ago but his urgency is not the same as mine. He's working in Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland now which is a good 80 miles away so I've no choice! 

On a different note, Mrs Tvman received word this morning that she'll be having her hip replacement surgery on 21st October. Yaayyyy! She burst into tears as soon as she told me.

Tvman 

Hi Stella, my dentist is one of the few NHS dentists left in County Down and he always takes time to chat about my health as well as very carefully checking my tongue and the inside of my mouth. 

Now a horror story. In my teens I used to go to the School of Dentistry, a teaching hospital, in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where I grew up. Although I wasn't aware, this particular day was my dentist's mock final exam and he was working on a cavity prior to filling it. Unfortunately for both of us he drilled into the nerve of the tooth. I jumped up in the air with the sudden pain and word soon reached everyone on the same floor. Some of the other trainees came to look and all said that he was lucky it wasn't his finals but neither my dentist nor others who came to have a butcher's asked how I felt!! They could probably guess lol.

When he worked at my teeth he used to stretch a square of rubber sheeting across my mouth to keep infection out but sometimes I fell asleep (really!) and the rubber sheeting used to be sucked into my mouth which soon woke me up. To this day I have a phobia of balloons etc.

I'm sure you have a few stories Stella.

Tvman x

Hi tvman  

I am glad to hear Mrs will have her hip replacement soon. How long was she on the waiting list? 

Sounds like the young dentist was using rubber dam which is the gold standard for restorative dentistry. I use it often on my patients too. One or two had fallen asleep and snoring with it during long treatments. Most of my patients are very nice and we got to know each other over 2 decades. it was sad for me to leave due to cancer. 

There were some interesting stories over time. One lovely older couple always said I reminded them of their daughter which was lovely. After several years, I found out that they bring gift to the hygienist every time when they visit but nothing for me! Just warm words  

Another time just before Christmas, I have extracted a tooth for this patient and alleviated his pain. He proceeded to offer a whole basket full of game meats etc to the dental nurse whom he only saw this time. As an after thought, he said do I want some too?! I know I am not wanted! The dental nurse is a very attractive young lady though. 

Thank you Leelaloo yes this is Alfie’s first holiday, he’s having a great time ! X 

And so are you Stella2020