{"id":472,"date":"2019-10-25T22:32:51","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T15:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leminhha.vn\/?p=472"},"modified":"2020-07-16T15:43:58","modified_gmt":"2020-07-16T08:43:58","slug":"teeth-troubles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leminhha.vn\/?p=472","title":{"rendered":"Teeth Troubles"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

Putting on Braces<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Me in 8th grade. The teeth overbite was pretty clear here.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

That was painful<\/em> 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 ?<\/p>\n

Anyway, so now I had 28 teeth left.<\/p>\n

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My braces. During a face painting event in a summer camp in 2008.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Wisdom Teeth Removal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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The wisdom tooth on my lower arch. I was having a 39-degree fever right there.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Around this time Phong also had this wisdom teeth grow, so we both went to have them extracted.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The dentist told me that my two other wisdom teeth seems fine. But Phong would have to return for another extraction.<\/p>\n

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

Cavities!!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

A couple of weeks ago, I began to notice food residues stuck between the opening between my right upper molars. It’s really<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n

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

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The sneaky cavity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have no other choice but to go to the dentist again. I first went to a clinic on Y\u00ean L\u00e3ng street. They recommended first drilling the decayed bits out, then they would trim off parts of the teeth and apply porcelain shells on top.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

All Good Now!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 :<<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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I have this bad boy with me everywhere now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here’s to never having to see the dentist again!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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