ROLE REVERSAL

Have you come ever across a dentist who talks to you & asks you questions when he or she is doing something to your oral cavity? Obviously there is no way you can answer. The best you can do is probably just a murmur or a funny sound from your voice box which you can’t even control.

I had toothache for 2 days before I saw the dentist at my hospital. It was a dull nagging pain which I tried to ignore initially but it was affecting my eating so I thought I should consult a dental doctor. Furthermore my cheek was also slightly swollen on the affected side. It wasn’t that obvious but my landlady noticed it.

After a brief history taking, the dentist, Dr. S, did some percussion on my troubled tooth as well as other teeth adjacent to it. Each tap sent a shiver down my spine. I was then sent for a few shots (x-rays) before Dr. S informed me the diagnosis.

I was having a pulp abscess (gasp) & had to undergo a pulpectomy. I thought it was only a minor problem which could be solved by just filling the tooth. I surely did not expect to hear pulpectomy. It was an unfamiliar term to me, unlike appendicectomy, cholecystectomy or mastectomy.

I have been rather obsessive-compulsive when it comes to brushing teeth. I think I do it more often than anyone I know, so how on earth did I get a pulp abscess. It was simply unjust, I was in denial.

Dr. S said she would try to do it without LA (local anaesthesia) first & if I couldn’t stand the pain, she would give me a jab. It wasn’t too long before we both realised that I required LA. My whole body tensed up when I saw the LA needle being brought near to my mouth. I held on to the arm of the treatment chair so tightly as if I was seeing a ghost in front of me. I think every muscle in my body contracted when Dr. S pierced the needle through my gum. Ouch!

For the next 1 hour, my jaw was numb & Dr. S did what she had to do. While drilling, digging & draining, she asked me about my work at the Radiotherapy Unit :)

I asked for a sick leave after the procedure ended, but Dr. S felt that I could still work since I had been given LA & there should be no pain. I was prescribed with a course of Metronidazole & Paracetamol for pain relief. Since my pain threshold is low, I changed Paracetamol to Tramadol (which contains codeine, a mild opioid).

With my jaw & cheeks still numb, I saw patients at my clinic at the Radiotherapy Unit. It was kind of weird & I actually talked funny. After a while, the LA started to wean off & I felt pain again. Tramadol made me woozy & I had to take the rest of the day off.

Back at home, I went straight to bed & slept till the next day. I think I even hallucinated due to the side effect of the drug. While the opioid got me “high”, Metronidazole caused gastric discomfort. Being a patient was definitely not a stroll in the park.

I went back to the see Dr. S a few more times after that (for follow-up treatment) before I was declared dentally fit & each time I actually felt like defaulting my appointment. Just the thought of the LA needle scares me like mad.

I still have a final check-up, which I think is already due. Dr. S didn’t give me an appointment date. She said I could just walk in to her clinic anytime, since I work at the same hospital. I think I should go. I have to practice what I preach, I really shouldn’t become a non-compliant patient.


(There is exaggeration here & there, but I hope you enjoyed this post. Dr. S is actually a highly skilled dentist & also a friend.)