• Published 18th Mar 2013
  • 1,276 Views, 64 Comments

Tell the Tooth - The Lord Thunder



Everypony has fears. For some, bad foalhood experiences can turn into paranoia. Such is the case with Rainbow Dash and the dentist. When she gets a terrible toothache, she must face one of her worst fears or risk her friends knowing she's afraid

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Chapter 5

Rainbow Dash was greeted by warm sunlight as she stepped out onto the patio of the dentist's office, running through the instructions on the sheet of paper the receptionist had given her as she headed for Ponyville Pharmacy. Avoid sweets and avoid putting pressure on the bad tooth. Take one pill daily until the bottle is empty. Brush three times a day. If undue symptoms occur, please notify the office.

A strong sense of relief washed over Rainbow. How she got off so easily she'd never know. She was spared. Well, for another week at least. Dash had nearly passed Sugarcube Corner when that thought crossed her mind, reminding her that she forgot to ask Dr. Neighnamel about this “root canal” business.

Do I even WANT to know? Dash asked herself, having stopped walking. She beat her wings and turned back to the direction of his office. I better ask anyway. I want to be as prepared as I can for this. Though the stone building was about as inviting as a hungry hydra, Dash stepped back in nonetheless.

In an instant, Dash shuddered. The smell, oh that distinctive but indescribable smell that only a dentist's office held. That stench alone brought back bad memories. Dash held her breath and fought through it, reasoning that she wasn't there to get any treatment done, just to find Dr. Neighnamel and learn what a root canal was. The receptionist was busy checking out, or perhaps in, another patient, which allowed Dash to sneak into the hallway leading to the examination rooms undetected.

“Good morning, Diamond Mint.”

Neighnamel's voice prompted Dash to press herself against the wall just outside the doorway to the treatment room closest to her. She HAD stay hidden. No telling what dentists did to intruders.

“Are you ready for your root canal?”

“N-n-not really,” Diamond Mint's voice answered. “If only I hadn't chipped a tooth on one of my own mints.”

Diamond Mint, huh? Dash thought to herself. They must treat primarily unicorns here.

“I know the procedure sounds terrible, but try to relax.”

“Hard to stay relaxed when you know sompeony's about to dig out your nerve tissue.”

“Understandable, but I need you to realize that this is extremely precise work. It's imperative that you remain still and calm for the duration. It will make things go much quicker and smoother for the both of us. I'll make sure you're good and numb before I begin.”

Dash's hoof went to her mouth in a fit of pure dread. N-n-nerve tissue?! Now Dr. Frankentooth wants to dig around in my nerve tissue! He IS a maniac! I KNEW this was too good to be true!

In an instant, Dash shot off down the hall in a blur of colors, knocking over a wooden table and an elderly stallion making his way to one of the examination rooms. She streaked out the door and into the open sky, looking down at that evil place.

“Hmm-mmm!” Dash yelled out loud to herself, covering her mouth with both hooves. “No way! I'd rather clip my wings than let somepony do that to me!” A sudden, sharp pain in the bottom of her mouth reminded her that Zecora's pain killer wouldn't last forever. “What am I going to do?”

A crafty smile spread its way across Dash's face as an idea slowly began to form in her rainbow-colored head. She'd much rather get that tooth out of her mouth than have a root canal done, and if Dr. Neighnamel wouldn't pull the stupid thing out, she'd just have to figure a way to remove it herself! She burst into the air, surging with confidence. After all, she was the pony who could do sonic rainbooms. Getting a tooth out couldn't be THAT hard!

Figuring that Twilight Sparkle would have a book on the subject, Dash flew off towards Golden Oaks Library. She'd have to find a way to sneak in; she couldn't afford to risk Twilight finding out about her fear of the dentist, or her inability to tolerate the pain of a toothache.

Rainbow Dash was in luck. Just as she passed over the library, Twilight Sparkle emerged from the door and started walking down the dirt road, possibly on some errand or another for Princess Celestia. After Twilight vanished down the road, Dash climbed in through an open window and began scanning the vast shelves for a book on dentistry.

What's this? Dash asked herself as she came upon a rather interesting series of books by the same author, mentally reading the titles: Ninja Golf, Ninja Salad Chef, Ninja Melee Toads? Ninja Dentist!? Ouch! She imagined a dentist, complete in ninja garb, cutting off his hapless patient's teeth with a katana in one clean slice.

“What's up, Rainbow Dash?”

Dash snapped around at the sudden voice, flinging a couple of books across the room in her surprise, to find Spike standing behind her. Shoot! I forgot about him!

“Oh, uh,” Dash rubbed the back of her neck. “Hey, Spike.”

“Looking for a book?” Spike asked. “Twilight already loaned you the latest Daring Do novel, didn't she?”

“Uh, yeah, she did. I was just looking for a... book on dentistry.” Inwardly, Dash cursed her inability to keep her mouth shut.

Spike clenched his stomach in laughter with one hand, and pointed at Dash with the other. “A book on dentistry? YOU?! That's a good one, Dash! You almost had me there!”

“Actually, I'm not kidding. It's for,” Dash's eyes darted for the ceiling as she paused to think of an excuse, “my cousin!”

Spike folded his arms quizzically. “Your cousin?”

“Yup. She's training to be a... dentist.”

“Why doesn't she just come here and pick the book up herself?”

Rainbow scratched nervously at the back of her neck. “Well, she's really busy. You know, dental college, studying, that sort of thing. I told her I know somepony with a lot of books and I'd pick one up for her."

“Where does your cousin live?”

Stop asking questions! “Uh, she lives in Las Pegasus.”

Spike tilted his head questioningly.“I didn't know you have a cousin in Las Pegasus.”

“What? Is that so strange?”

“Nah, I guess not.” Almost as if he could pinpoint the book blindfolded, Spike walked over to one of the shelves, selected a book and handed it to Rainbow. “Here, how about this one?”

Dash read the title out loud. “'Know the 'Drill': A Practical Guide to Dentistry.' Yeah, this should work. Thanks, Spike!” Before the little dragon could ask anymore questions, Dash zipped out the window from whence she came.

Next she paid a quick visit the pharmacy to pick up the antibiotics Dr. Neighnamel prescribed. Plain-looking orange bottle in tow, Dash headed for her home in the clouds. With all due haste she twisted the cap off and washed one pill down with a tall glass of apple cider. Now all that was left was to wait for the infection to go down. The doctor said it would take a couple of days

Dash shut herself in her room and snuggled underneath her blanket. Randomly, she chose one page of Twilight's dentistry book and began reading.

In the case of most ponies, Simple extractions are usually performed under local anesthetic, and require only the use of instruments to elevate and/or grasp the visible portion of the tooth. Typically the tooth is lifted using an elevator, and using dental forceps, rocked back and forth until the periodontal ligament has been sufficiently broken and the supporting alveolar bone has been adequately widened to make the tooth loose enough to remove Because Pegasi teeth are double-rooted, a surgical or trans alveolar approach may be required.

"What the hay?" Dash shouted. "This is all in egghead language, I can't read this!" With a scowl of disgust, she tossed the book onto the floor and crossed her front legs against her chest, wondering why she even bothered with the book in the first place. After applying some more of Zecora's painkiller, Dash went back to reading Daring Do and the Emperor of the Night.

The wee, dark hours of the morning brought Rainbow a rare, all-consuming agony that Zecora's ointment did little to stave. It felt like parasprites were eating her tooth from the inside, like a construction worker taking swings at it with his sledge as hard as he could. She tossed and turned and moaned into the light of dawn. The rest of the day would fare no better and see no end to her anguish. She couldn't sleep, couldn't concentrate on her reading and could eat nothing but the softest foods when she wasn't hugging her Wonderbolts blanket in a fear she'd rarely felt before.

"Nothing any dentist did to me was THIS bad," Rainbow said to her Wonderbolts plushie which she normally kept hidden in her bedroom closet. She'd been in enough pain and fear to hug it for comfort like she used to when she was a filly. Tears now ran down the cheeks of one of Ponyville's toughest ponies. "For the love of Celestia, make it stop."

It wasn't until dawn approached again, another sleepless night, that her antibiotics began to clear up the infection and ease her pain. At long last she fell into a deep, quiet slumber.