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    Category: Dental Mental

    • The much needed dental relief

      The much needed dental relief

      My dental mental year has come to a close and I’m finally free from the Cave of Eternal Paranoia – no more sleepless nights worrying about the long-awaited crown or battling between expectations and reality. It took more than a year to arrive at this point. Ask me if it hurts to extract a tooth that has…

    • Dental “Coronation” Day: Expectation vs Reality

      Dental “Coronation” Day: Expectation vs Reality

      A year ago, I extracted Tooth #19 – the same day San Francisco went into shelter-in-place. This year hasn’t been easy but, somehow, I’ve learned to channel my negative emotions into some kind of humor. The long-awaited crown was unsuccessful (again). This time, the abutment was screwed into the implant but the crown did not feel…

    • Dental journal: The long-awaited crown

      Dental journal: The long-awaited crown

      Doctor Y said it would only get easier once the tooth implant has been inserted. With that remark, I was no longer paranoid and felt very much lighter than before. I went to Doctor C to complete the final crown, thinking it would be the easiest part of my #dentalmentalyear. I drew this illustration, all…

    • Getting “screwed” at the dentist’s

      Getting “screwed” at the dentist’s

      After bidding farewell to my Tooth #19, and patiently waiting for my gums to heal, I finally got on with Part 2 – getting my tooth implant in place. Nurse: “How are you feeling?”Me: “Erm… nervous?”Nurse: “Don’t worry, you got your tooth removed with local anesthesia! This is going to be a breeze!” True enough,…

    • Look on the bright (and smooth) side of life [II]

      Look on the bright (and smooth) side of life [II]

      After making varieties out of my smoothies, here are some of my unconventional favourites. Horlicks is my childhood drink, it is enriched with 14 vitamins and minerals. I like to think that the Horlicks I love, is a British product, completed by Singaporeans (the open secret to viscosity is condensed milk). With a smoothie – which…

    • Look on the bright (and smooth) side of life [I]

      Look on the bright (and smooth) side of life [I]

      Breakfasts used to be effortless with the twenty-four-hour Donut shop around our corner and several bakeries on Clement Street. I could have a Maple-glazed-jelly-filled Donut on Monday, a Char Siew Sou on Tuesday, an Old-fashioned Donut on Wednesday, a bowl of Century Egg Congee on Thursday and a dozen of Donut Holes on Friday.  Weekends are the best. Jon…

    • The purée-fect oral surgery diet

      The purée-fect oral surgery diet

      The dental clinic gave me strict instructions to have a clear liquid diet on the first two days after my excruciating tooth extraction. Of all the suggestions on their list, I found coconut water to be the most appealing. However, it was not enough. Twenty-four hours later, at lunchtime, I could sense my weak and…

    • 2020: March #1secondeveryday
      ,

      2020: March #1secondeveryday

      The month everything changed. { Afterthought } San Francisco declared a state of emergency at the end of February and March started with many people panic buying at Walgreens. March 16 started as a date we marked down for my tooth extraction – I was nervous but did not see the shock coming. Coincidentally, on…

    • Goodbye, Tooth #19 (prepping for a tooth implant)

      Goodbye, Tooth #19 (prepping for a tooth implant)

      For a few months, I hear various dentists and receptionists refer to my first molar (on the lower jaw) like a person. “So, here’s a referral to the endodontist for Tooth #19.”“Here’s the referral to an oral surgeon for Tooth #19.”“Hi, this is a call to follow up on Tooth #19.” Tooth #19 did not…