My First Cavity And Other Toothache Stories

For a long time now I have been bragging to all and sundry that I do not have any filling in my mouth. When I was pregnant with my first daughter, all my fellow teachers told me that I was going to lose my teeth. I saw many of my friends towards the last tri- semester, loosing their teeth and adapting the name "gigi gongak".


And during my last tri- semester of pregnancy, I got my first ever toothache at the prime age of 27. Damn it, they were right! I went to my dentist only to be told that indeed there was no cavity. Apparently, my last molar had not enough space to grow and thus the food got stuck in between the two molars. Thank heavens! He told me to extract the last molar after confinement
which eventually I did-the first thing I did really.



I still remember the event. The nurse on duty was practically pinning my head on the chair. She gripped my head so hard I thought it was going to crack! When the extraction was over, I asked the dentist why was the nurse holding my head down so tight. He said that many Indian patients always move, scream and shout during extraction. I told him that I have been anesthetized and there was no pain. Why would anybody scream? He said that I was his FIRST and ONLY INDIAN patient who was extremely quiet!


Anyway, I made sure I scaled my teeth every 6 months after that, flossed my teeth every nite and gargled with Listerine too. After sometime the scaling was overdue, the flossing stopped but the rinsing with Listerine continued. At least ok what.. still gargling, ma!


A few months ago, I woke up in Port Dickson with an excruciating toothache. I took some 650's for 2 days and it killed the pain. I never thought much about it after that. A month later, while driving, I saw a friend and started waving and calling out her name. That was when I felt a jabbing pain in my mouth. Wah, cannot grin widely also! Next morning, I went to the dentist, all 3 kids in tow for their annual dental check up. The regular dentist wasn't there, instead a locum. As I entered the dentist's room with my girls, I realized the locum had no hair on her head but had flowing locks from her ears to her shoulder. I chickened out!! I will wait for my dentist to come back from India. The kids saw her though.


Two days later I was back at the dentist'. All this time, I avoided eating at the right side of my mouth. Sometimes during "makan", I would tilt my head to the left to allow the food to slide down to the left of my mouth, much to the amusement of my girls!!


Upon checking my tooth, the dentist said I had a "LARGE CAVITY ON MY UPPER SECOND LAST MOLAR". Then I saw the mountains falling, the volcano erupting and the seas choppy as ever. Reality check, Mala. You have a cavity,FINALLY!! What will I tell my friends? Only last week I was bragging to Paul that I am approaching my 42nd birthday and I have no cavity. I went on to brag that when my mom died at the age of 46, she had not a single cavity. Must have inherited the strong bone gene from her, I lamented. Damn, now I will have to tell everyone that I do have my first one.Kacau!


Anyway, the dentist cleaned it and put some plaster in it. He also put me on antibiotics to relieve me of the pain. I was to come back in a couple of days to have my last molar extracted. Then he said he will try to save the tooth. Otherwise I will have to either extract it or do a root canal. We need the second last molar to chew.



The extraction went on smoothly. He then patched the cavity and put me on more antibiotics. I recovered remarkably from the extraction. Then 2 weeks later, around midnite, just before I was about to go to bed, I had this most horrible, terrible, excruciating toothache. I took 2 tabs of 650's and desperately tried to sleep. Eventually the pain subsided. The next day was Ponggal so I couldn't visit the dentist. I suffered the whole day with the pain, taking 2 tabs of 650's throughout the day. By midnite, the 650's didn't work. The pain had shot up to my ears, the back of my neck and caused me a migraine on the right side of my head. Then I topped up to 4 tabs of 650's. The pain persisted with no relief at all. I called Steve and almost cried on the phone. He told me the moment he reached home the pain will be gone. Yeah, right!



Steve came home and gave me two packs of whiskey. With all the panadols I had stuffed myself with, I was a little apprehensive to down the whiskey. But what the heck! I was so desperate that I was willing to try anything. I even contemplated going to the hospital to get a sedative jab!

As promised by dear hubby, the pain eased. Ah, finally some respite! I sank myself into my bed and slipped into slumber land. But for only 30 mins. The pain came back. I lay awake the whole night as Steve snored to glory. I heard the grandfather clock downstairs chiming hour by hour . 1am, 2am, 3am,4am, 5am! I wanted to break the damn clock!

I was back at the dentist's - first patient. He checked my tooth and pulled the filling out as I let out a soft scream. Looks like the plastering didn't work. I have to do a root canal. Root canals for molars are performed by a specialist called endodontist. A regular dentist only treats the pre molars and not molars. This is because a molar has 3 or 4 roots and is much complicated. The success rate is rather slim so most dentist don't do them. Now I have to look for an endodontist. The dentist recommended me to see an endodontist in KL. The process of doing a root canal is not a one time affair. It takes about 3 sessions. Imagine having to drive all the way to KL, sit for approximately 2 hours and then drive back! Forget it. I am going to have my root canal done in Seremban.

The first root canal session lasted 1.5 hours. I had no pain at all throughout and after the procedure, I went home a happy woman. Finally the throbbing pain was gone. Up to now, I have been on soft diet for approximately 2 weeks already.

The second session was 4 days later. This time it lasted for 2 hours. As I was driving back, I could feel the anaesthesia wearing off and the throbbing pain coming back. 2nd session was a killer session but the pain only lasted a day. Then I was as good as new.

The 3rd session was another 4 days later. It lasted another 2 hours. This time the endodontist wanted to do it without anesthesia. Since I have been very coo operative and quiet through out the two sessions and didn't do my Indian Number, the endodontist was pushing it!! I told him,no way man!!

Anyway, the worst part was over-all in 2 weeks-for one damn lousy molar. And it cost me RM 1560!! And I haven't done the crowning yet. Should have just saved the money and pulled the goddamn molar out. Crowning is going to cost me another 1000 bugs. Wah...like this if more than one tooth, bungkuslah!!

I haven't done my crowning yet. Must visit the dentist next week perhaps.