To start, I went for my regualr check-up at thie place called Profile Dental at Marina Square. The shop was a hole in a wall and I had a hard time looking for it to be honest. If not for the directions Huiqin gave me, I would have given up. It is at one of the most deserted places in MS and even then, only a signboard showed the clinic's name and there was this arrow that pointed to nothing. After walking into the tunnel, you'll find a dental clinic. I went in and realised that the Dentist is a Vietnamese. I thought he is a Phillipino. MY word..... but wat difference does it make?
He did the usual stuff of cleaning but said my wisdom tooth was very serious. Recommended I pull it out and also do braces. Piangz, easily going to cost me a few k.
And so i arranged to take an x-ray. An OPG to be exact. This is the x-ray of the whole set of teeth, not just 1 tooth. And this clinic has no such facility. So I need to get to Tampines. This clinic can only take the x-ray of a single tooth. The facility at tampines is an x-ray centre.
Last thurs, I went down after work. This is one run down place to have x-ray done. It was set in the 1980s. If you have seen Stephen Chow's movie, you will know there is one with a cracky doctor who invented a lot of crappy instruments such as a solar powered torchlight. This centre is exactly like that lab of the mad scientist. The admin staff was blur and the radiologist is a Phillippino. Another job that went to foreigner. The good thing is I bumped into my ex-colleague there too.... he was there to get his x ray done as well.
Now, this is the x-ray that I took before. Not the one at tampines. I will never get to see the one I took at Tampines. However, it should look similar. Oh btw, the horizontal tooth is my wisdom tooth that I'm going to extract. Dun ask me why it's growing horizontally...
That night (thurs), the wisdom tooth started to give pain. In fact it was so painful that I woke up in the middle of the night. Perhaps the x-ray has induced it and i really felt the push. It's like someone trying to break your bone. not at a go, but slowly adding pressure. It is unbearable. Popped a few painkillers but not useful. Used an ice pack to numb the whole left side of my jaw.
I then spend my Friday looking for a clinic desperately that can allow me to do the operation immediately. I was willing to go collect my x-ray from tampines and bring it to wherever. Then, of all the clinics I called, they were all booked. The best part is, Profile even asked me to go find a nearby clinic. Thanks for trying to get rid of me. Profile then gave me the next avail date, wednesday... I think i would have died by then.
Then i came cross Asia healthcare. It is in Wisma. I was there before to extract my baby tooth. Now I'm planning to go back to remove my wisdom tooth. Of cos, the doc to look for is Dr Egwin Yeo. As I'm on my wife's company dental coverage (that will expire end of this yr), I'm happy to know that Asia healthcare is now on the panel of dental clinics. Oh, Asia healthcare also have their own x-ray machine that could take OPG...
The best thing about Asia Healthcare is that it can give me an appt on Monday. Which means I just need to endure through the weekend. Ok, I'll take that I said.
When I was finally there on Monday, the place is as usual - high-class. Classical music greeted me. As well as the bright smile of the receptionist. Totally different from Profile. The magazines on the table were well-arranged, unlike Profile's that were chucked one side. Then I went over to the pantry and noticed there were fruit juices in a jar... there's all sorts of hot drinks. Coffee, Tea, hot Choc, etc. Not that I can drink all that, but it feels good to know those are available. It was like Business Loungue over at the airport.
So Dr Egwin came out while I popped my medicine. Well, I think the last time I did my wisdom Tooth op during NS, I didn't have any medication before the op. No wonder it hurt so badly the last time... After the meds, i proceed to sign the papers and went in for the op.
Seriously, the injection of anthestetic was painful. My tongue felt numb, followed by the lower side of the left jaw. After chatting with Egwin for a while, the chemicals took full effect. Then I was wrapped up and it all starts. The sawing, the hacking, the pulling, the crushing, the stitching, the unwrapping and I'm done.
Totally different from my NS experience. The discomfort was so minimal. So wisdom tooth extraction can really be this comfortable. I remember waving my hands to the army dentist when I was back in camp as the pain was excrutiating. He then called out for the assistant to inject more anesthetic. It was like an operation out in the field. those we see in movies like "saving Private Ryan"... Totally horrible.
If anyone wants to remove ur wisdom tooth, I highly recommend DR Yeo from asia healthcare.
Btw, here's the product of the operation...
The crown (top of the tooth) is on the left and the long part is actually the root. Disgusting? Yeah...
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