dentist

well, i'm a dental DISASTER.
serious!
it all started back in 1999, when i visited the school dental van. i was in grade seven, and the dentist did an x-ray of my mouth. only he came back with some interesting news. "hey, em,' he told me, "you know, right above your jaw but underneath your nose, you've got THREE EXTRA teeth?"
well, that was interesting. mother takes me home and laughs, "must be all the milk you drink, em."
but i get booked in for day surgery @ the wesley hospital. they put me under G.A, then some surgeon takes those three extra teeth out, plus four more for braces. when i wake up, WHAM! big, fat, swollen cheeks! >< but not to worry, that night, my parents have rice for dinner. we are chinese, after all. i can do without rice for breakfast or lunch, but not dinner. guess what i had for dinner? ICE-CREAM! :D that was to combat the swelling the operation brought. custard and jelly, too. :)
another time i see the dentist, he notes that my teeth have gone perfectly smooth. "do you grind your teeth?" he asks me. well, how would i know? i'm asleep! but mother jumps in with, "oh, yes! i've heard her @ night!" so the dentist fashions for me this mouth splint thing, which i wear every night before i teeth. it means that when i do grind, i grind the plastic, but not my teeth.
i'll admit to a bit of cheekiness back in 2007 and 2008, though, when i was hospitalised. in the morning, a nurse holds the container to my mouth, saying, "spit it out." i feign a look of terror, and lie, "umm ... i think i accidentally swallowed it during the night!" the poor nurse gasps, "oh, no! what'll i do now?!" i laugh, and pop it out with my tongue. "just kidding!" :P that trick worked so well, i decided to try it once more on my favourite nurse, a male Filipino nurse named orli. "oh, no, orli, i think i swallowed it!" i gasp @ him the next morning. but the cool nurse was unfazed. "yeah, whatever, em." he says, waving the container in my face, "spit it out." :P
sometime later, we're down @ the coast, having fish and chips with the kwok family. suddenly ... ><"!! my jaw locks! i can't open the bloody thing! >< mother takes me to see another dentist, who explains, "we can wrench your jaw open under G.A, but there's nothing to prevent it from locking again. hmm ... screw that option, then.
instead, over time, i learn to open my mouth again. it's a bit of a weird sideways process, but i manage. even nowadays, when i fully open my jaw, it sorta clicks. @ least there's no pain, though.
actually, i just saw the dentist this week, coz i've been so enthusiastically grinding my teeth when i sleep @ night, i've practically worn through the plastic! mother takes me back to see the dentist, who like ... sands it, well, smooths out the sharpened parts, anyway. but he says if i keep @ it, i'll prolly snap the thing sooner or latter and need a new one! >< well, i've had it for quiet a few years, already ...
one last story: last year, i see my dentist, who does another x-ray. this time, he returns with some exciting news! "your wisdom teeth are beginning to come out, em." i cheer. "awesome! i'll finally get a chance to become wise!" but his next words dash my hopes. "sorry, em, they're coming out crooked. we'll prolly haveta remove them." dulp. >< there goes my chances of ever becoming wise. but don't worry, look on the bright side! @ least i'll get ice cream for dinner again! :D
next post ... umm, i think i'm joining janice and the other girls for dinner toms night, as part of janice's hen's night! :D if that's the case, new post coming on sunday!
until then~
cheers,
em. ^^