There's no joy like that of a temporary filling. Comfort after the storm. That dull, throbbing ache in the upper jaw? All gone, put to bed. Able to eat? Yes, with relish, elan, vim, vigour. Get the picture I'm sketching here?

What I've noticed about this episode, other than the cost - grin and bear it. In a good cause - is how close the relationship is between dentition and digestion. I've had to chew everything on my left side, which, oddly affects the way you swallow and breath. End result: a pitching, rolling stomach, buffeted by unruly pockets of air and semi-digested food.