islandhippy

Breakfast

(Continued from post below, scroll down for more.) I see from my blog stats that quite a few people have been directed here by Google having searched for "wisdom tooth extraction". I did exactly the same thing: I read people's experiences before I felt brave enough to go under the knife. I hate dental clinics and even though I know it doesn't really hurt having your teeth yanked out it's still damn scary. My first wisdom tooth extraction (lower jaw) was performed ten years ago in Malaysia, in a clinic above my local bar! At least I knew there was a good supply of anaesthetics downstairs. I don't remember much about that extraction suffice to say it's taken me ten years to take the plunge again.

The tooth I had removed yesterday was a wisdom tooth on the other side of my lower jaw. (I would say on the left, the dentist right!) It was impacted (it was growing sideways into the next tooth and not upwards out of the gum) and would collect food resulting in infection a couple of times a year (for ten years!). There wasn't any decay though so it was a tough call. The dentist made it very clear to me this was elective surgery and that it came with the risk of nerve damage. "What big teeth you have" remarked the dentist. "All the better to eat you up with if you damage the nerve!" I replied. After signing my name against numerous disclaimers that I might dribble for the rest of my life (he obviously hasn't seen me out on a Friday night or he wouldn't have worried), I donned gown, hat and shoe covers and had my blood pressure taken. Borderline high. "You might be a little anxious," offered the nurse. "No shit, Sherlock" wasn't my reply.

I was led into the surgery, given sunglasses to wear and the dentist proceeded to give me four or five injections in the gum. I was expecting to feel a slight sting but I felt nothing at all. So far so good, I thought. While my tongue and left (right) gum went numb, the nurses wrapped my head in a towel in case the blood spurted around the room (or to protect my eyes from the bright lights). Before the towel went on, I inserted my iPhone headphones (phone application off, iPod on). The problem was I then couldn't hear what the nurse was asking me. Off came the towel and out came one of the headphones. The nurse wrapped me up again but knocked the phone off my stomach, pulling out the solitary headphone. Off came the towel again, in went the headphone and on with the towel. I nearly told the nurses I could understand them scolding me in Chinese but decided against it. Better not antagonise them any more. The dentist eventually returned and started humming a tune louder than my music. Great. He then fired up the drill and started carving. Before the operation he had told me the drill might sound like home renovation in your mouth and it really did. I gave a laugh, which came out like a whimper so the dentist stopped to ask if I was OK. Yes, yes, please get on with it. I was trying to listen to my music, breath through my nose (as instructed) and think of nice thoughts (also as instructed). Prostrate and with a bright light shining in my face I tried to imagine myself on the beach with Sandy and Olive. "So, who do you support then?" asked the dentist, interrupting my sunbathing. "Err, I'm sorry?" "Do you support Nottingham Forest?" he continued. "Do you like Brian Clough? Where are they in the league?" So much for thinking nice thoughts.

In between rounds of drilling came hammering (the cracking sounds were rather freaky) and some pretty strong pushing and then, worse, pulling. I was worried the dentist was having problems, as he seemed to be having a major tug-of-war with my tooth and I was concerned my jaw was going to snap. I was about to offer my help ("Shall I come back another time?") when he said it was already out and he was going to sew me up. Out already?! Amazing. Despite the pressure and noise, I really hadn't felt any pain at all. One minute later the sewing was complete and the towels were removed. I slipped the bagged tooth into my pocket—I wasn't quite ready to look at it yet—and I was led to another room to disrobe and learn how to change the gauze. As there were no mirrors, I whipped out the iPhone to take a quick photo of my face but it all looked the same. No major swelling or bruising, yet.

There was nothing to pay, everything was covered by Medisave, so I went in search of the Pharmacy to get some antibiotics and painkillers (also free) then sought out a 7-Eleven to buy a newspaper. Half an hour after surgery I was back at home, hungry, and wondering what on earth I could eat. Luckily my dear wife had made carrot and coriander soup, which I sucked up with a straw. (UPDATE#1: After reading other websites, I believe it's not a good idea to suck hard through a small straw as the pressure can dislodge any newly formed blood clot in the gap, which slows the healing process.) Now, twenty-four hours and three bowls of soup later, I have to say there is no pain, no swelling, no bruising, no dribbling (fingers crossed, we missed the nerve) and I'm having a slap up meal of bacon, eggs and toast with lashings of chilli sauce for breakfast! I was offered a five-day medical certificate to stay off work; I didn't take it and really wouldn't have needed it. I'm completely fine and wondering whether I should pop back to the hospital this afternoon to remove the two upper wisdom teeth.

Yeah, right.

UPDATE#2: Lots of readers have arrived here after googling "how to extract wisdom teeth using Medisave" so here's what I did. Medisave is Singapore's national medical savings scheme—Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents are required by law to put aside part of their income (currently 6.5-9%, depending on age group) into their Medisave Accounts to meet future hospitalisation expenses. Instead of visiting my regular private dental clinic, I went to the nearest Polyclinic and waited an hour for an appointment with a doctor who then issued me with a referral to the National Dental Centre (at my request). I couldn't use Medisave for the first consultation at the National Dental Centre but I could use it for the surgery on my second visit. The whole process is a lot slower than going private but, apart from the fact I could use Medisave, the main reason of using the National Dental Centre was that I trust the dentists here a lot more than at the privately run mom-and-pop dental clinics in my neighbourhood!