20th Jan
With only 5 hours of sleep, I made my way to the national dental centre. The memories I have of this place is all hmm... not so good.
It all started in '06 when I had my braces made and the orthodontic treatment lasted 3 years, with bi-monthly visits stretching to half yearly since I was often travelling then and making appointments at ndc is not always a breeze. But that's all in the past.
This trip was to extract the last of my wisdom teeth, on the right side. I had almost forgotten how painful it had been 2years ago when I removed my left wisdom tooth until I stepped into the dental clinic.
As I sat there waiting, those memories and discomfort came back to me.
The procedure was the same this time round. My dentist went through my file and xray, told me how the procedure will be like and gave me a list of the risks involved (4% suffers permanent numbness, 1 in 300 gets saliva coming out from their nostrils and the like). All not very comforting facts.
After the consultation with the dentist, I was sent to collect my pills and take them before the surgery - these the antibiotics and painkillers. And I had my 'last meal'.
Back in the day surgery level, the nurse handed me a robe, shower cap and wraps for my shoes - all very germ-free. And then I was led to the room - the exact same room and chair I was in 2 years ago.
I said my last words and held my peace for the next hour.
The nurse laid a cover over me, to prevent blood stains / spills she said. And another cover that was place strategically over my eyes so I couldn't see what went in and out of my mouth.
The dentist came and gave me my shots of local anaesthesia which was in fact the most painful bit of the surgery. The needle was huge and it certainly did not feel good having that pierced into my gums. I cried instinctly - only my right eye tearing. Dr Tay kept on saying 'I'm sorry to put you through this, the most painful part will be over soon'. The physical pain really.
Emotionally I was a wreck. On came the drills and the slicing and those sound like mechanical saw. And then I felt the pressure and the tug - all in an effort to pull out the roots. For my impacted tooth, it was really tough to pull that out - the nurse had to hold my head down.
I felt some pain this time round - wondering if Dr Tay had damaged some of my nerves. I gagged and mumbled that its painful and begged for more anaesthetic after the extraction.
A comic moment happened when the dude next door was screaming his lungs out, yelling 'aw! Aw aw!' Poor dude had both sides of wisdom tooth extracted.
At the end of it, I sat down at a resting corner and the nurse came over to check if I'm able to walk out of the clinic on my own and went through a list of not-to-dos.
I didn't stop trembling until a good 45min later. The shock of it all, the numb swollen cheek and the bloody teeth were a bit too much to bear in an hour.
But I made it. And I can (hopefully) say goodbye to ndc for a long period now. :)
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