Some of my snakes were/are somewhat defensive while in their tubs: this includes a SSTP who's calmed down considerably, a Hog Island BCI who can still get grumpy, and a young coastal carpet who sounds much like your corn (she's bit me more often than all my other snakes: pic below).
My advice (that's worked for me) is to just go right in there and pick him up. I found that not hesitating and being confident when approaching the snake makes the overall experience a lot less stressful for the snake and handler. As long as your not grabbing him aggressively, rough, or too hard I bet he'll calm down in time. If he bites you don't put him away right away: he'll learn that that's a way to get out of being handled, only put him away when he calms down.
As for breaking a tooth I've yet to have any snakes get hurt from tagging me. Possible, but seems uncommon.
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