Friday 6 July 2007

My First Root Canal Treatment

I was elated to receive my Maxicare health card. Good thing about most IT companies these days is you're already insured on day one of work. I guess this is an added lure, doing away of the usual that employees must be regular first to enjoy benefits, thought of by IT companies to pirate software developers to work for them. Isn't it great that we're so in-demand these days? Let's take advantage of these opportunities. Seek the company that fits your long term goals. Look for the one that provides the healthy environment to build your career on.

Excited to use my card, I dialed for the Maxicare's 24 hour call center and asked for a dentist within Makati area. Actually, I hate dentists. They always advise me to abstain on coffee because my teeth are too stained. Give up coffee? No way! Just wait when I get rich, I'll avail of that costly whitening procedure that whenever I smile you'll want to wear your sunglasses =p

So I went to the dentist yesterday to avail for a free prophylaxis and 2 permanent fillings. Dra. Concio, the dentist, immediately pointed at my badly decayed lower right molar. This tooth gave me excruciating pain last year but I managed to endure it by popping Advil every six hours (don't follow me with that one, too much medicine is bad for the liver). I procrastinated going to the dentist until the pain went away permanently. Dra. Concio said since the molar already caused me pain, filling it (pasta) wouldn't fix it, it might flare up again and might lead to tooth abscess. She presented two options: to have it extracted and replace it with a denture or to undergo root canal treatment. Extracting was out of the question. I don't want to part ways with my lovely yellow tooth. If something can be done to save it, why not. So I opted for the root canal treatment. I gulped when she told me the procedure would cost 5800. Fortunately she accepts credit card. Ohhh yes, the power of utang!

She began drilling my tooth to clean and open it up. I felt an uncomfortable ma-ngilo sensation, like that sound of nails scraping on a blackboard. When she drilled further, I yelped in pain - no wonder many are scared of dentists. She then gave me two anaesthesia shots on the surrounding gum. When the effect of the anaesthesia seeped in, she began inserting root canal files (a root canal file looks like a needle) to clean the tooth out. Buti na lang my gum was numbed because that must have been darn painful. It aimed to remove the bacteria and nerve tissue inside the tooth. She even showed me a file with blood on its tip saying the blood was a nerve. Huhuhuhu she killed my tooth!!! I left her clinic with a lopsided smile, because my lower-right jaw felt funny due to the anaesthesia. I couldn't even flash my infamous cute smile (hehehe).

The procedure isn't over yet. I still have to go back next week for a tooth X-ray. I have to go back again a week after next for the root canal filling. And the week after that for the dental crown placement, which she told me will take 1 and a half hour... Naku! nakanganga ako ng ganun katagal!?! Click here for more about root canal treatment.

I've learned my lesson - I must take proper care of my teeth. Not only tooth decay is painful, treatments are also painful and expensive! Click here also for tips on how to take care of your precious teeth.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Root canal represents one of the best way to save a deeply damaged tooth or an abscess tooth. When it is well realized, it is a great success.This why an x-ray is important to know more about the roots shapes to avoid all further complication. It is always necessary to know root canal symptoms.

http://www.teethwhiteningcare.com/root-canal-therapy.html

Gingerdvera said...

Thanks for sharing your experience. You're right, we/I should take care my teeth from the start. That's what I realized when I meet aMakati Dentist.

Andrew James said...

They all say that prevention is better than cure, which says it all that we should not neglect simple acts like brushing our teeth everyday. I also assure to visit my Makati dentist always.

markson said...

I regularly hear patients state, "My neighbor says to not get a root trench, since he's had three of them and every one of those teeth have been pulled. root canal instrument

Skyfit said...

Dentistry treatment will be complicated and time-consuming for dentist and patient fear of

dentist, While patient should take patient to work with dentist,as advanced dental

material,such as http://www.dentallabshop.com/ is a good help

for dentist and lab technician for the final good restoration, More over, the hospital clinic

should have the trusted hospital furniture bed for

patient to release the pressure.

Ananaya said...

Thank you for share very good blog and If you are looking for an alternate way of implants to save your damaged tooth, then a root canal is one of the best options. For safe and effective Root Canal treatment Ludhiana,consult Dr. Bikramjeet Singh Dhillon of Ludhiana Dental Centre.