"all smiles", eh? - TTTC

all of "The Dentist" is definitely a flashback for O'Brien, but focusing on that lit term seems to be taking the easy way out. especially since there's a better one to use. so, I'll focus more on the hyperbole being used. firstly, I'm thinking that Lemon is speaking in hyperbole when he says that "in high school he'd had a couple bad experiences with dentists. Real sadism. Torture chamber stuff." (p. 83). there's also another example being used, by Lemon: "...told him he had a monster toothache. A killer - like a nail in his jaw." (p. 84). not only is there no toothache, but even if there were, a simple toothache would not kill. not right away, anyway. not until it gets infected and affects your bloodstream.
the most obvious hyperbole in this chapter though is the final line:

"There was some pain, no doubt, but in the morning Curt Lemon was all smiles."

(p. 84)

there's no way that after yanking a perfectly good tooth out that someone feels just fine in the morning. sure, pride has a role in that. and maybe the "all smiles" is meant to be figurative, but literally speaking, there's no way for that to be possible. take it from a girl who had to wear braces for five years and get "perfectly good" (but in the way) teeth pulled in order to allow for the new ones to grow it. you're not "all smiles" until it's all over with.