My life is often a magnet of "incredulous" freak incidents that makes myself laugh, if not others. Something as simple as a trip to the dentist can evolve into a story to be blogged...
The sensitivity in my teeth area on the left has heightened in the early 2 weeks of Jan. I wasnt too sure why except I suddenly experience mild gum bleeding. Upon closer inspection and "poking" with my finger, I noticed that one particular upper molar has exposed dentine due to receding gum line and hence causing me the mild discomfort during brushing. Wanting a professional to take a closer look at it, I booked myself an appointment with dentist. Yes, I belong to the strange category where I have absolutely no fear or squirmish about seeing a dentist. I quite fancy the thought of someone cleaning and scalding the plague in between the teeth actually and reduce the staining from regular tea consumption.
Dental care in Hong Kong is very very expensive. A normal routine care in Singapore averages about $75 or more (depending on where you go, i go to NTUC dentist). In Hong Kong, my recent visit cost me a whopping HK$1000 (about SG$200). However that is not my main story.
What was really funny was how I went to the dentist to get my sensitivity checked, and ended up teary with blood-shot eye. That wasn't the way I had anticipated, having one pain over-riding the other :)
You see, the dentist was ok, but his nurse aid was terrible. She is a Flippino but inexperience from the way she fumble around. Even when the dentist was taking teeth x-ray for both sides, he had to tell her "COME ON, what u doing, where is the other film?" Apparently, she just passed him film and forgot the other and stood there dreaming.
The diagonsis is that my teeth are in perfect condition. My dentist is an Australian. One look and he guessed correctly I must be from singapore because he shared that back in the early years in 70s -80s, Singapore govt copied the New Zealand Dental care. So in primary school, we had nurses to inspect and fill our molar to prevent cavitiies. I think what surprised me was more like how our govt back then already took such initiatives from overseas to care for our oral health, than letting them rot. I rem having to visit school dentist at least once a year till I finished high school. The slip of white card from the nurse was like time off from class. My fav times.
Anycase, he said judging from my oral condition, I was told I am prob one of the unfortunate few who probably didnt need those silver filling that makes it look really hideous but they were there to be preventive measures.
As he progressed to polish my teeth, the nurse was fumbling around holding the suction tubing in my mouth. She must be bloody daydreaming because she clashed with the dentist's polishing instrument and the water spray, resulting in minute grain of polish landing into my right eye! Oh fuck that hurts!
I immediately sat up, much to the surprise of the dentist. I couldnt blink nor open my eye as the grain was in the eye. I couldnt yell or talk because my mouth was still halfway in progress with the washing stuff. I spit it out and reach for the cup, which was left EMPTY because the dumb nurse didnt bother to fill it up for me to gargle. I had to gesture madly for her before the slow witted one still did not realise. I pointed to the sink on my left divided by the cup holder (and the tap), gesturing i need to wash my eye. The right hand side was block by my dentist and the instruments.
I couldnt really talk because the grainy stuff was in my mouth and i didnt want to risk swallowing. The not very bright nurse noticed I wanted the sink but she just stood there like a moron and not making any effort to make way for me. I pointed to my eye and the sink and she went repeating thrice "oh she wanted water!" but she did NOTHING. I wanted to murder her.
The dentist of course asked what happened? I got fed up of waiting and yelled "MY EYEEEEEEEE!!!" , shoved the cup divider thing and the useless nurse out of the way, jumping off the chair and headed straight for the sink to wash my eye with the tap.
When I was finally done, I could finally explain the washing stuff splashed into my eye. The dentish was concerned of course saying such a thing had never happened before. When I settled back into my seat, he insisted on taking a look at my eye. So 2 nurses (the older nurse came in hearing all teh commotion) and the dentist crowded near into my face with the bright shining light beaming into my eyes as well. It reminded me of X-FILES really, when the aliens want to dissect me....
I stretched out my hand to block the light from my eye. The slow witted nurse moved the light and the dentist snapped at her "I NEED THE LIGHT TO SEE!" before she moved it back in position.
So my ordeal continues, with the dentist proclaiming there are tissues caught under my lower eye lid (used to dry my eye earlier after rinishing the grain out). He insisted we must removed them even though I feel no discomfort. So the more experienced and older Filippino nurse decided to use a cotton bud to wipe it while the dentist forces my eye to remain open. GOD its awful!!!
My eye was pierced by the bright light, and dry from the air, and someone poling at it to rid the tissue. I was thrashing quite a bit and screamed "OUCH OUCH.. my eye, MY EYE!!!!!" Suddenly I laughed too because the whole scene was too ridiculous and funny. I said to the dentist "Would I be scaring your other patients away?" haaa" He said not to worry, my eye ordeal continues....
After several minutes and prob 5-6 attempts, when I shouted "Its enough stop!!!" The nurse exclaimed "I got it!!!" WHat a relief.
When the brushing was completed, I went outside to make my payment. The dentist came out and asked if I was really alright. I told him I was fine before heading to the loo to check out my poor eye. Funny how my teeth doesnt hurt but my eye is tearing....
The mirror reflection shows a poor right eye to be blood shot of course. Otherwise its fine. When I return, the dentist asked me again if everything was fine. I replied "I feel like a rabbit now" (refering to my pink eye) The dentist broke into a laugh and went back to his work. The slow witted nurse laughed too but then before I stepped out, asked me "Why a rabbit?" If she doesnt get it, so what on earth was she laughing earlier?
I just smiled and left without elaboration, saving my last breath for myself....
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