Only Fools And Horses Fatal Extraction

Right, picture the scene: it’s 1998, and the Trotters are back. But instead of a dodgy consignment of hooky gear, they’re chasing a dental crown worth a small fortune. This is “Fatal Extraction,” the episode where Del Boy’s toothache nearly bankrupts him and traumatizes a National Trust tour guide.

The Plot: A Crown of Thorns (and Gold)

Del’s got a loose crown—a lump of gold sitting on a rotting molar. He refuses to pay a proper dentist, because of course he does. Instead, he cons a young dentist, Mr. Phillips, into doing a “cash job” for fifty quid.

The problem? Mr. Phillips is newly qualified and terrified of Del’s tough-guy act. He’s also about to miss the most important job interview of his life. What could possibly go wrong?

Everything. Absolutely everything. And in the most gloriously British way possible.

Exaggeration Station: The “Interview from Hell”

Picture Mr. Phillips driving a golf ball through an open window—during his interview at a fancy dental practice. He’s so rattled by Del that he literally forgets how to be a dentist. The interviewer, a posh bloke named Mr. Collins, watches in horror as a porcelain crown flies across the room.

But here’s the surprising fact: That golf ball scene was actually filmed with a stunt double for the dentist. The actor, Paul Moriarty (Mr. Phillips), had to throw the ball himself. It took seven takes because he kept giggling like a schoolboy.

Meanwhile, Del is slumped in the waiting room, drooling into a hanky. He’s reduced to a pathetic, whimpering mess. This is a man who once sold a suitcase full of empty baked bean cans. And a rotten tooth is his kryptonite.

The “Dental Clinic” of Horrors

The “surgery” is Del’s living room, with a kitchen chair and a lamp from the market. Rodney, playing dental assistant, holds a spatula and looks like he’s about to perform an exorcism. The tension is so thick you could spread it on a slice of fried bread.

Only Fools and Horses: Fatal Extraction on BBC Video (United Kingdom

Then comes the nacho moment: Del, hopped up on gas and air, starts rambling about “marginal gains” and “Spanish plumbers.” He clearly believes he’s in a Bond film. Meanwhile, Mr. Phillips botches the extraction so badly that the crown flies out and lands in a bowl of punch.

Let’s pause here. A twenty-four-carat gold crown is now marinating in Tropical Fruit Fizz. And Del’s first instinct isn’t “get it cleaned,” it’s “fish it out with a straw.” That’s pure Trotters logic—solve a problem, create a bigger one.

The Grand Finale: A Tube of Superglue

Desperate, Del grabs a tube of superglue from his infamous “Bendy Bully” toy stash. He crams the crown back into his mouth with it. Yes, he’s now effectively supergluing his own tooth. The camera lingers on his pained, triumphant grin.

Of course, the glue sets instantly. Del becomes a statue, frozen mid-smarm. Rodney has to use a chisel from the van to free his jaw. And when he finally speaks, it sounds like he’s gargling gravel.

Here’s a surprising behind-the-scenes fact: The superglue was actually a special effects prop—but David Jason (Del) insisted on using real nail glue for authenticity. He then spent three hours with a makeup artist trying to dissolve it off his teeth. The man is committed to the bit.

Why It Works: The Genius of Low-Stakes Catastrophe

This episode is a masterclass in turning a tiny problem into a world-ending disaster. Del’s not selling a dodgy radar detector; he’s fighting for dental dignity. And losing. Badly.

Only Fools and Horses: Fatal Extraction - Apple TV (UK)

It also skewers the NHS dental crisis of the 1990s—a real issue where people resorted to DIY dentistry. The joke hits harder because we’ve all been there, or at least know someone who has. (A friend of a friend once used epoxy resin to fix a filling. It ended badly.)

The guest cast is perfection. Andre Maranne, the actor playing the French dental interviewer, was actually a former mime artist. His deadpan reaction to the golf ball—a single raised eyebrow—is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen on television.

The Legacy: A Crown Jewel of Chaos

“Fatal Extraction” is regularly voted in the Top 10 Only Fools episodes. Fans adore it because Del’s downfall is so deserved. He’s arrogant, cheap, and reckless—and the universe punishes him with superglue.

It also features a legendary Del Boy “trigger” moment: when he tries to eat a biscuit through gritted teeth and it crumbles down his shirt. Rodney’s laugh in that scene is genuine—Nicholas Lyndhurst broke character, and they kept it in the final cut.

So next time you have a toothache, take the NHS waiting list. Because no amount of gold is worth a trip to Del Trotter’s living room. And if anyone offers you a “home extraction” with pliers and a promise, just show them this article. Then run. Fast.

Or better yet, pop a clove oil and call a real dentist. Trust me. Your crown will thank you.