RIP, my dearest UL7.

Never in my life I would have thought I would have a dental abscess, especially not when I'm a dental student.

But I did yesterday, with my Upper Left 7 (second molar) which has been causing problems since december last year, seen and dressed by a consultant three times, not knowing what was wrong with it.

Caries, nope

Periodontal problems, nope

...but the buccal mucosa next to my tooth was swollen like a balloon yesterday.. and I ran around the DH in a frenzy, trying to get different clinicians to look at it, and tell me its still saveable with a course of rootcanal treatment.

I was told to get the pulp 'extirpated'.(sorryfor the amount of dental jargon here) but sth inside me tells me hmm its really not that simple so I went to Dr. Gormally for a 2nd opinion. He kindly offered to make a small incision on the swelling for me, and prescribe me with some antibiotics.

After the procedure, he very gently told me that my tooth's prognosis is very poor, and that there is barely any buccal bone left, leaving the tooth to be very mobile. He thinks the tooth will be going down the route of having to 'take it out'.

I was horrified, and left saying to him I'll think about it. Went back to clinic, and Dr.Valentine said to me ''Pei I put my money on saying there's a root fracture on this tooth, its best to just have it out.''

So I made that big decision to lose my first adult teeth.

Went back to Dr.Gormally, asked him if he would be so kind to take that tooth out for me, and he obliged.

He injected more local anaesthetic, and whilst he was doing it I sat on the chair in a daze. Put his luxators in ( I could feel the periodontal ligaments tearing), and put the forceps in, to slowly wiggle the tooth away from me.

Every movement that I felt with my tooth getting loser and loser, I felt a deeper sense of loss. So much, that my tears started rolling down uncontrollably on the chair. The infection I had with the tooth made it hurt, and very uncomfortable to say the least, but I knew it was almost impossible to effectively anaesthetise the area when it was so much infection so I just grabbed the chair sides and sat through it.

When it was out I didnt cry with relieve, but with my loss.

It was indeed a vertical fracture right through the tooth, and no matter what we did it will still go down that road of extraction. So I guess its a good thing I didnt waste more time on trying to save it.

I know it might sound all very dramatic to some people, but I guess bcoz we try to save teeth every single day, it sucks to see my own have to go, so early in its 'life'.

Dr Gormally was so very kind, throughout the whole procedure.. he even brought me water and asked me to take my antibiotics on the chair. After the tooth was out he said to me, ''what are we going to do with you pei.. you make me feel like I have to put some implants in for u now'', with a smile. Then he brought me more water and asked me to take my painkillers chairside :) So super duper kind, he really is.

Sigh. So yea now I am one tooth less, although its right at the back, it still sucks.


Oh wells.