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Root Canal
The inevitable is sometimes painful.
A tooth’s life is never easy. It puts up with multitudes of abuse. From the acidic effects of the atrocious Pepsi, to the sugary sweetness brought about by chocolate, its pain knows no bounds.
Immersed in darkness, it’s rare for a tooth to see the light. Living a solitary life, each day blends into the next without the hope of seeing something new. Death and decay is a certainty many see on a day to day basis.
Survival is the key to living a long, pain-free life. When that very option is threatened, it’s the tooth’s obligation to make his beloved caretaker see the light. The hope of garnering a longer lifespan is a must, as is a trip to the dentist. The question is, how can one measly tooth bring about a much needed change without causing any further pain in the process?
A tooth’s life is never easy. It puts up with multitudes of abuse. From the acidic effects of the atrocious Pepsi, to the sugary sweetness brought about by chocolate, its pain knows no bounds.
Immersed in darkness, it’s rare for a tooth to see the light. Living a solitary life, each day blends into the next without the hope of seeing something new. Death and decay is a certainty many see on a day to day basis.
Survival is the key to living a long, pain-free life. When that very option is threatened, it’s the tooth’s obligation to make his beloved caretaker see the light. The hope of garnering a longer lifespan is a must, as is a trip to the dentist. The question is, how can one measly tooth bring about a much needed change without causing any further pain in the process?
21 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2013
6 people want to read
About the author
Sharon C. Williams
19 books36 followersSharon C. Williams is a native of New England raised in Northern Maine. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and son. She is also owned by a flock of birds
Sharon has a B. S. degree in Chemistry. She loves to read, sketch, take pictures, walk, exercise, go to the movies, and listen to music. She is a budding bird watcher, and knits on the side. She is a huge sports fan of baseball, basketball, hockey, and football. She is also a shutterbug and is always looking for the next big shot.
Sharon tends to write by long hand as the flow works better for her this way. Her bookshelf consists of works written by Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Bentley Little, and James Patterson. The best advice she has ever received about writing was to write about what you know. Her first thought was, “Yeah right,” but it really is that easy. A writer just needs to know a little tidbit to turn it into a short story, and soon enough, there's a book.
Two of her short stories were published in the anthology, Cassandra's Roadhouse, and two in the Dragons in the Attic anthology, which was written by her writing group, The Wonder Chicks. Her children's chapter book, Jasper, Amazon Parrot: A Rainforest Adventure, and Jasper: Amazon Friends and Family, was released by Fountain Blue Publishing in 2013 and 2015. Volume three, "Jasper, Amazon Parrot: The Perils of The Jungle", was released in November of 2019. Her comedy novel about her war with her backyard squirrels, Squirrel Mafia, was also released in the spring of 2015. Her latest book, “Everyday Musings” which is a collection of short stories and poems was released Sept. 30th, 2016
As of 2016 Sharon has started an author'scoaching and beta reading service.
Sharon has a B. S. degree in Chemistry. She loves to read, sketch, take pictures, walk, exercise, go to the movies, and listen to music. She is a budding bird watcher, and knits on the side. She is a huge sports fan of baseball, basketball, hockey, and football. She is also a shutterbug and is always looking for the next big shot.
Sharon tends to write by long hand as the flow works better for her this way. Her bookshelf consists of works written by Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Bentley Little, and James Patterson. The best advice she has ever received about writing was to write about what you know. Her first thought was, “Yeah right,” but it really is that easy. A writer just needs to know a little tidbit to turn it into a short story, and soon enough, there's a book.
Two of her short stories were published in the anthology, Cassandra's Roadhouse, and two in the Dragons in the Attic anthology, which was written by her writing group, The Wonder Chicks. Her children's chapter book, Jasper, Amazon Parrot: A Rainforest Adventure, and Jasper: Amazon Friends and Family, was released by Fountain Blue Publishing in 2013 and 2015. Volume three, "Jasper, Amazon Parrot: The Perils of The Jungle", was released in November of 2019. Her comedy novel about her war with her backyard squirrels, Squirrel Mafia, was also released in the spring of 2015. Her latest book, “Everyday Musings” which is a collection of short stories and poems was released Sept. 30th, 2016
As of 2016 Sharon has started an author'scoaching and beta reading service.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 6, 2013
A tooth's life is truly ordinary, and quite uneventful. The darkness that surrounds it is something it knows intimately. Rarely, will it see the light of day. Though it can hope to have its world turn out differently.
In Root Canal, we join a tooth whom has lived its entire life surrounded by that darkness. Its life is the same, day in and day out. It shares space with others of its kind, along with a warm pink tongue, and a generous cheek to keep it cozy. In its mind, its living the high life. Yet everything changes when its beloved owner changes things up, and introduces it to a whole new environment.
Acidic drinks, sugary sweets, and salty foods - there's a myriad of items that can take away from a tooth's life. The ensuing cavities are a nightmare, and the pain that follows can be never-ending. A tooth can only hope that the person taking care of it will be more lenient. That he or she will wisen up, and make its life better. Sometimes, for some, unfortunately, that is a possibility that may never happen.
When a trip to the dentist becomes a necessity, a tooth's life takes a drastic turn. It begins to think about the endless possibilities that come from such endeavors. Will the tooth continue to exist? Will it be sent to tooth heaven? Will the pain ever go away? Those questions and more filter through a tooth's mind. Granted, they might be inanimate, but they provide us with a means of enjoying the foods we eat. Sometimes, saving one is the only way to go, even if you have to endure the pain of doing so in the process.
This was such a delightful short story. I enjoyed it immensely. Sharon has done a wonderful job in depicting the life of a tooth as it struggles to survive amidst the 'atrocities' committed against it by its beloved owner. We can feel its angst as it tries to understand why its owner isn't more caring of him and his brothers/sisters, as well as feel its happiness when its life is spared, to some extent.
She's spun a wonderful tale about everyday happenings when it comes to taking care of your teeth and going to the dentist. To see the tooth tell its story in such a warm and insightful way is quite refreshing. It really is. Sharon has a way with words that draws you in from the very beginning. I look forward to more of what she has coming her way in the future.
In Root Canal, we join a tooth whom has lived its entire life surrounded by that darkness. Its life is the same, day in and day out. It shares space with others of its kind, along with a warm pink tongue, and a generous cheek to keep it cozy. In its mind, its living the high life. Yet everything changes when its beloved owner changes things up, and introduces it to a whole new environment.
Acidic drinks, sugary sweets, and salty foods - there's a myriad of items that can take away from a tooth's life. The ensuing cavities are a nightmare, and the pain that follows can be never-ending. A tooth can only hope that the person taking care of it will be more lenient. That he or she will wisen up, and make its life better. Sometimes, for some, unfortunately, that is a possibility that may never happen.
When a trip to the dentist becomes a necessity, a tooth's life takes a drastic turn. It begins to think about the endless possibilities that come from such endeavors. Will the tooth continue to exist? Will it be sent to tooth heaven? Will the pain ever go away? Those questions and more filter through a tooth's mind. Granted, they might be inanimate, but they provide us with a means of enjoying the foods we eat. Sometimes, saving one is the only way to go, even if you have to endure the pain of doing so in the process.
This was such a delightful short story. I enjoyed it immensely. Sharon has done a wonderful job in depicting the life of a tooth as it struggles to survive amidst the 'atrocities' committed against it by its beloved owner. We can feel its angst as it tries to understand why its owner isn't more caring of him and his brothers/sisters, as well as feel its happiness when its life is spared, to some extent.
She's spun a wonderful tale about everyday happenings when it comes to taking care of your teeth and going to the dentist. To see the tooth tell its story in such a warm and insightful way is quite refreshing. It really is. Sharon has a way with words that draws you in from the very beginning. I look forward to more of what she has coming her way in the future.
March 16, 2015
At first glance, this seems like a rather silly concept for a story, but by golly, it works!
This is the story of a tooth inside the mouth of a woman, who doesn't take care of her teeth very well. One day, the tooth begins to ache, and it (it's written in first-person, from the tooth's perspective) hopes against hope that its host will take it to the dentist, and also that it won't need to be taken out and thrown in the trash.
There isn't really much point to the story, and it isn't obvious that it means that people should take care of their teeth, although I gather that was the moral the author was going for. Even so, I really enjoyed it! My only concern is that, with the story being as short as it is, it was kind of annoying to have to wade through 20% of front-matter first, before getting into the story. If the story were longer, I would say move all that stuff to the back, since people read differently on e-readers, and it's not so easy to just skip past it as it would be in print (and also it means people who sample the book get less of the actual story to sample). But with the story this short, I'd say most of it can be dispensed with altogether.
Still, four stars - well done!
This is the story of a tooth inside the mouth of a woman, who doesn't take care of her teeth very well. One day, the tooth begins to ache, and it (it's written in first-person, from the tooth's perspective) hopes against hope that its host will take it to the dentist, and also that it won't need to be taken out and thrown in the trash.
There isn't really much point to the story, and it isn't obvious that it means that people should take care of their teeth, although I gather that was the moral the author was going for. Even so, I really enjoyed it! My only concern is that, with the story being as short as it is, it was kind of annoying to have to wade through 20% of front-matter first, before getting into the story. If the story were longer, I would say move all that stuff to the back, since people read differently on e-readers, and it's not so easy to just skip past it as it would be in print (and also it means people who sample the book get less of the actual story to sample). But with the story this short, I'd say most of it can be dispensed with altogether.
Still, four stars - well done!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews