Dentist-Phobia

Even while spending all those sleepless nights with all those excruciating pain, I was still reluctant to visit my dentist to get my wisdom tooth extracted. Was I worried that I wouldn’t be wise anymore? Of course not! I had heard stories that the pain after the extraction was even more agonizing. I knew, eventually, I had to get it out but I still waited, procrastinated, made excuse for one whole year!

Well this time the pain took its toll! The throbbing in my lower jaw rhymed harmoniously with my heartbeat unconsciously producing a melody to hurt me even more. I gave in and this time I had to have it out!

I took an appointment for Friday so as to bury myself in medication during the weekend if the pain got the better of me. Friday came and reluctant as I was, entered the dentist’s office. After the X-ray was taken, he informed me that there were too many infections. “God help me,” I told myself and was already thinking of taking the whole week off.

After injecting my gums with anesthesia, he had me wait a few minutes while letting me read the aftermath of wisdom tooth extractions: bleeding for 24 hours, swelling, extreme pain, damage to existing dental work, painful inflammation called dry socket, fractured jaw, numbness of the mouth that would not go away etc. Everything made me even more miserable!

Well the time came, the dentist leaned over my face along with his assistant, did something and the said, “We’re DONE”. That was it? Well I wasn’t expecting the extraction to be painful, what I was worried was the after effects. He wrote me the prescriptions and I zoomed out to the nearest pharmacy before the swelling started.

I drove home and dived into my sofa. It’d been an hour but there was still no pain. The tingly feeling in my lips was beginning to fade but still no pain!

Hey, it’s been a week now and still no pain! Guess I was lucky but those of you, who have the same dentist-phobia like I do, believe me, they’re worth a visit. I feel better than ever!