Books by Ian Rogers
Books by Ian Rogers
Some years ago my wife, who is housebound, had a crack in a back tooth. Infection got in and she developed a painful ulcer. Reluctant though she was, we called a peripatetic dentist to examine her. As the crack was unmendable and continued infection was likely, he recommended the tooth be extracted.
Although there is a surgery for disabled and special needs people in a nearby town, my wife’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/M.E. is so severe she chose not to go. With lots of prayer and passage of time the infection cleared up and has been ok since. I, however, have always worried that it might recur and that she would have to have it extracted. Once when she was hospitalised I even asked if a dentist could examine her there and do any necessary treatment but apparently the Health Service isn’t that joined up.
Whether before or after my wife I forget but I also had an infection under a rear tooth. It would erupt through the gum, appear to be better, and then erupt again. After a course of antibiotics and a root filling both failed to solve the problem, the dentist said it had to come out. Appart from pussy clag round the roots it was a perfectly good tooth and I now have a large gap. If I eat sharp food, like crusty toast, it gouges the gum in an unpleasant way.
Recently I have had a root infection in another rear tooth, fortunayely well away from the gap. It went through the cycle of eruption and improvement, so when I saw my dentist it was ok. he said leave it a while because, although he could do a root filling, the tooth was three-quarters filling and it would be a problem to restore. Also that root fillings were not always successful. Well, I knew that from previous experience. Taking a leaf out of my wife’s book, I left it for months. It has now, for some weeks, been completely better. certainly time (and prayer) can be great healers.
I recall a story in a book by (I think) Betty Pulkingham, called (I think) ’Mustard Seeds’. It was a collection of stories of God’s provision to her and her husband. Once, while away from civilisation, she developed severe tooth ache. They prayed for healing and there was instant healing. They may have included all her teeth in the prayer - there’s no point in asking for half a blessing. On return home, she visited her dentist without mentioning the healing.
”Everything’s fine,” he said, ”but where did you have your last treatment? You have some very hard, white enamel fillings of a kind I’ve never seen before!”
Would that God would answer all our prayers in such a comprehensive and lasting way! However, like the oppressed widow in Jesus’ parable, sometimes we have to keep on praying and, as St Paul wrote, ’never give up’. Sometimes we are left with gaps. No doubt, as St James wrote, this teaches us patience and develops our character. Maybe a gap in our teeth fills a previously missing gap in our human nature!
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