[Cementjungle]

It's a trade off. A little bit of short term pain in exchange for being able to go directly to work and not worry about chewing your tongue raw.

My GF's reasoning was more along the lines of "The pain reinforces to myself the need for good dental hygene". She saw it as some sort of self-inflicted penalty for getting a cavity.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I take care of my teeth so I am not into penance.

But I hate that numb rubbery feeling and I worry that if I talk or chew anything for about four hours I could conceivably do damage to my cheek or tongue.