The official receipt says "corticotomy" ; yes, i survived 1.5 hours of surgery in a small operating chair in my dentist's clinic last Sat,Nov 18. In ordinary language, what the operation means is, the dentist need to cut a portion of my lower gum and move my lower teeth inside. I have a case of what my playmates bully me in the past as, "half-moon". My lower jaw is wider and is blessed with more teeth than an average person. I had my braces on 3 years back (initially due to vanity because "braces" are the latest "in" thing in the Phils back then) and the dentist already gave me a vision of what is yet to happen last Saturday in his office. I am calm when i stepped into the clinic 8:30am in the morning. The dentist called on his asisstants (there are all Pinoys btw, and they are all so "USI" since most have not seen "corticotomy" before -- i guess, i'm one of a kind), prepared all the tools and gadgets ( i almost changed my mind when i saw the chisel and the hammer laid in front of me), and finally he gave me a local anesthesia. My mouth was so numb, so no matter how much cutting and hammering (yes hammering because the dentist need to cut through the bone), i just laid back on the dentist chair and counting time when this will be over. After so many hands touching my mouth and a bucketful of blood, one hour has gone and the dentist is already doing the stitches. Suddenly with one big pull, he pushed the brackets from my front teeth and connected it to my right molars, whaahh! very very painful...i am in tears waving my hands for the dentist to stop! He gave me another shot of anesthesia and whaaah! i can feel the needle piercing through my sensitive gums, all the more painful...i am panting this time,panicking and grasping for air,if i had hypertension, i think this would have been a major attack. The nurses were trying to calm me down, i could not get hold of myself, i am really in pain, BIGTIME! After the long shot of anesthesia, the dentist is attempting to connect my teeth again and push inside, 1..2..3.. done! My body is shaking , i feel like all my nerves has been disturbed and i cannot control the shivers. The dentist said, i have been good (really?), that the operation is done, and i need to take one more X-ray before I leave. When i stood up, i feel like the world has turned upside down, i badly want to go home,lie down in bed, and recuperate from my agonising surgery.
Long minutes has passed, the X-ray machine is not yet up and running, the nurse already called the technician to quickly come over and fix the problem but, no technician has arrived yet. The anesthesia is slowly fading and again, i'm in tremendous pain. I feel so much pressure from my lower jaw , it almost feels like my mouth is breaking into pieces, i am having a massive headache! Where is the technician?, i am strongly complaining now to my husband. Of course, not to embarass us from the long que of patients waiting outside, my husband just re-assured me we will go home soon, be patient, and forget the pain. How can I disregard this pain???
After 30 minutes, i could not bear any longer, and the dentist asked me to come back again to the "deadly" chair . I thought he will just check if something went wrong but again, another needle pierced into my aching gums , not only once but twice, thrice, and i stopped counting at four...I am crying like a child, cannot compose myself,trying to grasp air, all I want is just to go home,please... NOW! At last, the X-ray man arrived and I was given a scan.
If you think pain is over after the dentist's clinic , the thing is, i have to be high on drugs just to survive. Round the clock i have to take 500mg of pain killer and antibiotics. Not to mention, on the 2nd day, my mouth is swollen and my lower gum is still bleeding. What is happening to me? i'm not very sure at all if this was the right decision to make. My son (now,17months old), never knowing that I am in pain is also wanting to be carried always and would want me to play around with him. He is becoming naughty these days as well, he will never take "NO" for an answer.
As I write this, I'm already on day 5, i have finished all the meds and for the first time when i look at the mirror, I do appreciate what my dentist has done. Gone are the "half-moon" days, hopefully, the wound from the surgery will heal very soon, my lower teeth will align and tuck inside, and I can make a great big smile again! But still, it was a bloody hell of an experience (for keeps!) :-)
