One afternoon, on about the third try to treat the old lady, the dentist figured out a way to get the job done.
He excused himself from the old lady, went back to the reception desk, and told his receptionist that as soon as he was ready to work on the old lady’s teeth, she was to move up behind her and jab her in the rear with a long pin.
Well, the receptionist did what she was told, and sure enough, the old lady opened her mouth to holler. Maintaining that opening with a pry to keep it that way got the job done.
Finally finishing with his work, the dentist said, “Well, now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“Nope, not so bad,” said the old lady. “But I’ll tell you this, I never expected to feel the pain of a toothache way down in my ass.”