Fear of seeing a dentist is common to all people.
Back then, when dentists used those huge and intimidating instruments—big syringes with long needles—and the earsplitting sound of tooth drills—this so-called Dentophobia was understandable in one way or another.
The funny thing is that one morning, while I was having breakfast, I sensed something hard in my mouth; it was the half part of my front tooth that got broken. I didn’t feel any pain.
As it happened, lots of memories came back to my mind, like how I lost most of my molar teeth way back then.
When I lost some of my molar teeth, I always remember how poor we were before. I have an uncle who was a dentist, and he was married to the sister of my father,
However, he was no ordinary dentist because, as head of the dentistry department of the Philippine General Hospital, he was responsible for providing hands-on training for the UP students taking up dentistry.
Every time I would visit him to check the pain in my gum caused by tooth decay, he had no other option but to extract my tooth.
Visiting him was a cinch; I didn’t have to register my name at the dispensary section; all I had to do was go straight to his cubicle.
In the late 1950s, I was unaware that so-called dentures, root canals, or even these tooth implants were unheard of. All I knew then was that if I felt a toothache, that was the time to see my uncle.
After my uncle had extracted my tooth, he would even give me some money, and I didn’t have to ask him for money, but he made sure I had some cash for allowance and transport fares.
Not only that, but I also had some fears about seeing a dentist because of the long syringe they were using to inject the anesthesia into the gum.
Merely looking at the long syringe was enough reason to send chills down my body—the image of an autoclave machine used to clean the syringe stuck in my young mind.
These days, they use disposable syringes; in some cases, the anesthesia is in the gas form and inhaling it makes patients half-awake while undergoing tooth repair or extraction.
With today’s technology, there are many ways to preserve one’s teeth, such as metal tooth implants, permanent false teeth, and missing tooth replacement.
Even before the dentist injects the anesthesia into the gum, a paste is put on it to numb it for a few minutes.
A few months back, I had my first denture, and I didn’t want to wait long because it was not good to have one tooth vacant in front of my mouth. In short, it was more about its aesthetic reasons.
In Canada, dentures are pretty pricey, which is one reason dentists are one of the top professions, earning thousands of dollars a year.
Because dentures are expensive in this part of the world, some of our kababayans would rather have them done in the Philippines at a lower price.
It’s a good idea to spend the money you could save by travelling there and seeing the country’s various scenic and tourist places while waiting for your dentist to fix your dentures.
For most of my life, I’ve endured not having enough molar teeth, but I have managed well. Most of all, I can afford to smile to the high heavens, so to speak.
But losing the front tooth is quite a big issue; it’s hard to ignore. With one tooth missing, it’s very uncomfortable and a real challenge to smile.
With my new denture, I can even smile away all my life’s problems.
With today’s technology, there are many ways to preserve one’s teeth, such as metal tooth implants, permanent false teeth, and missing tooth replacement.
Even before the dentist injects the anesthesia into the gum, a paste is put on it to numb it for a few minutes.
A few months back, I had my first denture, and I didn’t want to wait long because it was not good to have one tooth vacant in front of my mouth. In short, it was more about its aesthetic reasons.
In Canada, dentures are pretty pricey, which is one reason dentists are one of the top professions, earning thousands of dollars a year.
Because dentures are expensive in this part of the world, some of our kababayans would rather have them done in the Philippines at a lower price.
It’s a good idea to spend the money you could save by travelling there and seeing the country’s various scenic and tourist places while waiting for your dentist to fix your dentures.
For most of my life, I’ve endured not having enough molar teeth, but I have managed well. Most of all, I can afford to smile to the high heavens, so to speak.
But losing the front tooth is quite a big issue; it’s hard to ignore. With one tooth missing, it’s very uncomfortable and a real challenge to smile.
With my new denture, I can even smile away all my life’s problems.
