FA+
Shop
Ow my freaking mouth! (With pics!)
10 years ago
General
Lookin' about
Also known as:
"How I dodged the surgical part of oral surgery."
First off, let me say that my bottom two wisdom teeth are impacted. In short, they popped grew kinda weird. However, the one in question was causing me pain a few months ago, to the point where I could not sleep. However, after drowning the thing in the expensive (purple) Listerine for two days, it stopped hurting.
Time skip to two weeks ago, it started up again, but this time, it was hurting at complete random, and I couldn't sleep due to it, probably giving me an average of two to four hours of sleep every TWO days or so. So after talking with my family about it, they recommended me to a clinic I was at last year when my mom came by to visit, and he cleaned my teeth, and fixed up my mother's.
He suggested I take a panoramic X-ray and after paying 900P for one (Equivalent to $26~) at a local clinic and handing it off to him via my uncle, he said that it was necessary to have it removed asap, as it's not exactly going to go away anymore.
So one day later, I'm off!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/izpr5wtg2.....40.55.jpg?dl=0
Not exactly what you'd expect, as you'd think that dental offices, or clinics in general would be super spic and span and clean and all that. But there's a lesson in this story, so just wait a minute alright?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3liafoahi.....39.12.jpg?dl=0 Right through the front door. (Open, because it's really hot outside and the fan's on.)
So, before he starts, he explains something that he caught that the X-ray might have missed, and actually almost did, but he caught it. It turns out, that he can skip needing to cut into my freaking jaw (the surgery part) and it turns out, the impacted wisdom tooth in question, had actually caused a cavity in the molar that it was touching. So much so, that it might have gotten 'killed off' from the inside out. I just didn't notice it yet.
He points it to me, makes diagrams and all that, and I'm inclined to believe him, and he is the family dentist, so I agree. And I did have a -very bad- experience with anesthesia before in my life time, (It didn't work. As in. I felt the scalpel and everything.) so I tell him this and he says that I'll be fine, etc. I didn't even feel him stab my gums or anything. He even states "Well, you're a bigger than average guy, so we'll just wait a bit for the anesthesia to kick in." So give or take Five-Fifteen minutes of him talking with my uncle outside, he comes back in and pokes around and says that it's time.
I'm worried at this point, but I don't .. actually feel anything. So after .. maybe about less than a minute of him poking around, he calls my uncle and chuckles saying taht the tooth was 'hiding' and that it was kind of cute in the way it was like a child that had gotten caught doing something bad and was hiding behind the other molar. and shows my uncle. After that brief intermission he tugs and pulls and pop! Out goes the second molar. Which, he chuckles and shows it to me, says that he was right, and boy was he.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ck49s3ff8.....37.09.jpg?dl=0
So then h gets to work on the other. He makes a comment on how incredibly durable my teeth are, and it was a shame that they had to have come in impacted, and it having affected the molar he just pulled out. Because at this point he's actually having trouble. He continues to talk to me about what's going on, and that the Xray, once again, (It's a good Xray too. One of those futuristic looking dealies that make me feel like I'm about to take a teleported in TF2/Glados' white sterility, so don't give me that 3rd world bullshit that certain folks seem to have). And that the reason why it stopped hurting months ago was .. well. Because it died. And as he tap tapped away with the plier-looking tooth thing, he comments that the crown had shattered. and he just taps a few times and shows me a few pieces of the wisdom tooth that just kind of fell off. But he seemed to have the most problem with the removal of the remnants because of how well grown in and sturdy it had grown in. Made another mention of how unfortunate it had to be this way, and bam! Out goes the wisdom tooth. (The remains are that tiny bit of tooth you see next to that big one.) Through this entire thing I didn't feel anything except pressure from his tugs and pokes.
He says that I'm done, to go rinse and ... that's it. He doesn't even prescribe (he could) antibiotics to his patients, because he's thorough enough that they don't need to. In fact, I wasn't even bleeding. Seriously. I just had teeth pulled and he even said that I didn't need to bite down on gauze or anything. (So either he's very good, or I'm freaking Wolverine.)
I do ask about any particular painkillers, and he just says, "Well, if you're sure it's going to hurt a lot and don't want to feel anything..." he just gives me a prescription paper for 10x tabs of Mefanamic acid. It's basically a type of painkiller that is nonsteroidal and anti-inflammatory. And with that I go to the mall to pick up my tabs (Price: 50 cents. CENTS. Half of a dollar for generic. Not each. For the 10 tabs.) I eat a bento box after getting some groceries with my uncle, then head home, and sleep. Although because of the numbness (The anesthesia was still working) I had to chew my food on the other half of my mouth.
Now, the lesson I mentioned earlier:
This dentist, is an "old school dentist" and had gotten his degree years ago from the Southwestern University here in the Philippines. And by "Old School" I mean he's the dental version of what my own father is. (My father, being an "old school" General Practitioner. ... As in they don't teach doctors the same way he was taught because 'They cannot handle the curriculum.' and my father is STILL qualified in his old age to do anything in a hospital. (he keeps himself updated yearly.)
But anyway, back to the lesson.
From what you've seen in the pictures, you would've thought that he might've been crap, or the place was not a good place to go because it's so open, or it's not white and sterile like what you're used to. (Heck that was what was on my mind as well.) But he was incredibly professional, kind of laid back really, which helped ease my tension and was quick and straight forward. No bullshit, no wanting to ask you if you wanted more expensive stuff (He did have options, but recommended that it was all unnecessary) and was very good at what he did. Know how good he was? Well, let me explain:
During the weeks of pain, I had actually consulted the Hospital how much it'd costs, and various other clinics and private dental offices around the city. It ranged from a SIMPLE Wisdom tooth extraction (10,000P) to "complex extraction." (15,000P) which is approximately $300-400. Not including "misc" fees. (And those who've been around hospitals of any kind know that "misc fees" can wildly vary in range.) And that's not including what would have happened if they didn't have the foresight or wanted MORE money upon "discovery" of the second molar's issue or just wanted to go 'standard procedure' and slice open my jaw.
So how much did this incredibly skilled dentist charge me? 3,000P. (about $80.)
So total, including X-ray, Medicine, Taxi fare, etc:
About $100.
AND. No need to be on liquid food.
Lesson? Don't judge a book by it's cover.
"How I dodged the surgical part of oral surgery."
First off, let me say that my bottom two wisdom teeth are impacted. In short, they popped grew kinda weird. However, the one in question was causing me pain a few months ago, to the point where I could not sleep. However, after drowning the thing in the expensive (purple) Listerine for two days, it stopped hurting.
Time skip to two weeks ago, it started up again, but this time, it was hurting at complete random, and I couldn't sleep due to it, probably giving me an average of two to four hours of sleep every TWO days or so. So after talking with my family about it, they recommended me to a clinic I was at last year when my mom came by to visit, and he cleaned my teeth, and fixed up my mother's.
He suggested I take a panoramic X-ray and after paying 900P for one (Equivalent to $26~) at a local clinic and handing it off to him via my uncle, he said that it was necessary to have it removed asap, as it's not exactly going to go away anymore.
So one day later, I'm off!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/izpr5wtg2.....40.55.jpg?dl=0
Not exactly what you'd expect, as you'd think that dental offices, or clinics in general would be super spic and span and clean and all that. But there's a lesson in this story, so just wait a minute alright?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3liafoahi.....39.12.jpg?dl=0 Right through the front door. (Open, because it's really hot outside and the fan's on.)
So, before he starts, he explains something that he caught that the X-ray might have missed, and actually almost did, but he caught it. It turns out, that he can skip needing to cut into my freaking jaw (the surgery part) and it turns out, the impacted wisdom tooth in question, had actually caused a cavity in the molar that it was touching. So much so, that it might have gotten 'killed off' from the inside out. I just didn't notice it yet.
He points it to me, makes diagrams and all that, and I'm inclined to believe him, and he is the family dentist, so I agree. And I did have a -very bad- experience with anesthesia before in my life time, (It didn't work. As in. I felt the scalpel and everything.) so I tell him this and he says that I'll be fine, etc. I didn't even feel him stab my gums or anything. He even states "Well, you're a bigger than average guy, so we'll just wait a bit for the anesthesia to kick in." So give or take Five-Fifteen minutes of him talking with my uncle outside, he comes back in and pokes around and says that it's time.
I'm worried at this point, but I don't .. actually feel anything. So after .. maybe about less than a minute of him poking around, he calls my uncle and chuckles saying taht the tooth was 'hiding' and that it was kind of cute in the way it was like a child that had gotten caught doing something bad and was hiding behind the other molar. and shows my uncle. After that brief intermission he tugs and pulls and pop! Out goes the second molar. Which, he chuckles and shows it to me, says that he was right, and boy was he.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ck49s3ff8.....37.09.jpg?dl=0
So then h gets to work on the other. He makes a comment on how incredibly durable my teeth are, and it was a shame that they had to have come in impacted, and it having affected the molar he just pulled out. Because at this point he's actually having trouble. He continues to talk to me about what's going on, and that the Xray, once again, (It's a good Xray too. One of those futuristic looking dealies that make me feel like I'm about to take a teleported in TF2/Glados' white sterility, so don't give me that 3rd world bullshit that certain folks seem to have). And that the reason why it stopped hurting months ago was .. well. Because it died. And as he tap tapped away with the plier-looking tooth thing, he comments that the crown had shattered. and he just taps a few times and shows me a few pieces of the wisdom tooth that just kind of fell off. But he seemed to have the most problem with the removal of the remnants because of how well grown in and sturdy it had grown in. Made another mention of how unfortunate it had to be this way, and bam! Out goes the wisdom tooth. (The remains are that tiny bit of tooth you see next to that big one.) Through this entire thing I didn't feel anything except pressure from his tugs and pokes.
He says that I'm done, to go rinse and ... that's it. He doesn't even prescribe (he could) antibiotics to his patients, because he's thorough enough that they don't need to. In fact, I wasn't even bleeding. Seriously. I just had teeth pulled and he even said that I didn't need to bite down on gauze or anything. (So either he's very good, or I'm freaking Wolverine.)
I do ask about any particular painkillers, and he just says, "Well, if you're sure it's going to hurt a lot and don't want to feel anything..." he just gives me a prescription paper for 10x tabs of Mefanamic acid. It's basically a type of painkiller that is nonsteroidal and anti-inflammatory. And with that I go to the mall to pick up my tabs (Price: 50 cents. CENTS. Half of a dollar for generic. Not each. For the 10 tabs.) I eat a bento box after getting some groceries with my uncle, then head home, and sleep. Although because of the numbness (The anesthesia was still working) I had to chew my food on the other half of my mouth.
Now, the lesson I mentioned earlier:
This dentist, is an "old school dentist" and had gotten his degree years ago from the Southwestern University here in the Philippines. And by "Old School" I mean he's the dental version of what my own father is. (My father, being an "old school" General Practitioner. ... As in they don't teach doctors the same way he was taught because 'They cannot handle the curriculum.' and my father is STILL qualified in his old age to do anything in a hospital. (he keeps himself updated yearly.)
But anyway, back to the lesson.
From what you've seen in the pictures, you would've thought that he might've been crap, or the place was not a good place to go because it's so open, or it's not white and sterile like what you're used to. (Heck that was what was on my mind as well.) But he was incredibly professional, kind of laid back really, which helped ease my tension and was quick and straight forward. No bullshit, no wanting to ask you if you wanted more expensive stuff (He did have options, but recommended that it was all unnecessary) and was very good at what he did. Know how good he was? Well, let me explain:
During the weeks of pain, I had actually consulted the Hospital how much it'd costs, and various other clinics and private dental offices around the city. It ranged from a SIMPLE Wisdom tooth extraction (10,000P) to "complex extraction." (15,000P) which is approximately $300-400. Not including "misc" fees. (And those who've been around hospitals of any kind know that "misc fees" can wildly vary in range.) And that's not including what would have happened if they didn't have the foresight or wanted MORE money upon "discovery" of the second molar's issue or just wanted to go 'standard procedure' and slice open my jaw.
So how much did this incredibly skilled dentist charge me? 3,000P. (about $80.)
So total, including X-ray, Medicine, Taxi fare, etc:
About $100.
AND. No need to be on liquid food.
Lesson? Don't judge a book by it's cover.
Glad it went well for you.
Very much so! Though it's really awkward to feel a gap where teeth used to be.
