Teeth Troubles

Just went to the dentist, for (hopefully) the last time today. I have had a small history with teeth problems, most of which are — thankfully — very common and easily treated.

Putting on Braces

When I was a kid, my teeth were protruding outwards heavily. I was always very conscious about it. My uncle told me to use my index and middle fingers to push them inwards before sleep every night, which did not work obviously.

When I was in grade 9, my dad took me to the dentist to put on braces. We found a newly opened dental clinic right in our neighbourhood, and the dentist did my braces for a heavy discount.

Apparently my teeth were growing in such a chaotic order that they pushed each other out. And so, to have the space to push them inside, I had to have 4 teeth removed.

That was painful as hell. I was 15 years old. My teeth had fully matured by that point. The dentist had to use a massive pair of pliers to pull all four of my teeth out. It was such a spectacle that my cousins and my sister even came to the dentist to see me getting tortured ?

Anyway, so now I had 28 teeth left.

The braces were quite a nuisance at first. Luckily I got used to it quickly. I took it off after 2 years, and my teeth were (mostly) back to normal.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

The following 10 years, things went by peacefully. I always paid good attention to dental hygiene (or so I thought). No trouble with my teeth so far.

After Tet 2018, I suddenly got a massive fever and a severe toothache. Lo and behold, it was two wisdom teeth about to burst through. The fuckers grew sideways and were pressing on my other teeth, causing an infection.

Around this time Phong also had this wisdom teeth grow, so we both went to have them extracted.

The procedure was pretty quick and painless. The most painful part was the anaesthetics injection into the gum. After that I didn’t really feel anything.

Phong’s case was a bit more complex as the roots of his wisdom teeth were lodged deeper. Still, it was only 40 – 50 minutes for each of us to get booth the teeth out.

The dentist told me that my two other wisdom teeth seems fine. But Phong would have to return for another extraction.

He also said that I should brush my teeth more carefully, since there are those little openings that the normal toothbrush cannot get to.

Cavities!!

Following the dentist’s advice, I began to brush even more vigorously. I would wait half an hour after each meal to brush to protect the enamel.

A couple of weeks ago, I began to notice food residues stuck between the opening between my right upper molars. It’s really hard to get to this little hole. I had to use pointy toothpicks, and even then I still felt like there’re food bits remaining.

I also noticed a dark patch… which obviously is a sign of decay. Bacteria have been feasting on the food stuck there. Damn.

I have no other choice but to go to the dentist again. I first went to a clinic on Yên Lãng street. They recommended first drilling the decayed bits out, then they would trim off parts of the teeth and apply porcelain shells on top.

Essentially, I’d be getting two new fake teeth made from porcelain. The cost would be around 5 million (2.5 mil for each fake tooth).

That sounds a bit… extreme. I went to the old dentist who extracted my wisdom teeth. He pointed me to his wife who is also a dentist.

She told me that it looks like food had been stuck there for a couple of years at least. Luckily the damage had not spread to the root canal. She performed a simple dental filling procedure, which was over in 30 minutes.

Now the part I dread the most – the anaesthetic injection – was actually unbelievably painless. She applied an anaesthetic gel first before injecting the needles, which definitely helped numb the pain.

I’m so glad I didn’t get the porcelain veneers per the first clinic’s suggestion. It really is just prudent to get multiple expert input.

All Good Now!

Apparently, my teeth have not grown evenly, which leads to various holes where food can get stuck. I also have a little bit of gum bleeding from the bacteria damage.

Anyway, my teeth are all good now. Per the dentist’s advice, I’ve got to start using dental floss. That’s just a good habit to have anyway — I’ve always known flossing is important, but I’ve always thought brushing would suffice. Mostly I’m just lazy though :<

So yea, I’m taking my dental care to another level now. I’ll minimise eating sugary food or drinks throughout the day, and make a daily habit of flossing, vigorous brushing, and antiseptic mouthwash rinsing.

Here’s to never having to see the dentist again!!