What's it gonna be?

The pain was getting unbearable.

I woke up in the morning, and the first thing I did was to call my dentist. Lucky for me, I was able to sleep okay most of the night. Unlucky for me, my Sean Connery-like dentist may be still on holidays somewhere.

I could have found ten of dozens of dentists in the yellow pages, but how would I know if they are any good? So I SOS-ed for help. Ask a few friends of mine, and they sms-ed me back with their dentists. Thanks gals!! Not surprisingly, no one said theirs was cheap. Sigh.... I contacted one, who flatly told me no, because they were all booked up. The next told me I can see one in February.

FEB-freaking-BRUARY?!!! I could have died from gangrene by then! Weren't they supposed to save lives?! Far out!

One receptionist said I could go if I was willing to wait for her boss to 'slot' me in. And it was close to my place. I went there straight away. I think twenty minutes was all it took for me to wait. Went in there, tap tap here, tap tap there, and came out with a bill of $78.00 All in less than five minutes.

So, what's it gonna be? He said I could do a root canal, which was his choice opinion, so to save my molar. Three visits for root canal, two visits for crowning. Total of $2500. Or I could have it extracted, and leave it be. Cheapest, but left with a gap. Or then get an implant, which can easily cost about $4000 or more.

Frantic. Frantic. How? Have to decide, coz I really need something done to it, like yesterday! I cannot to 'shop around' as I was very time poor. What if I cannot see another dentist for second opinion in time. Then again, I would be charged a second, or third, initial consultation fee. I finally agreed for a root canal, and he told me to return right after his lunch time to slot me in.

Went home and googled like a mad woman. Searched for market price here and also all the way back to Malaysia. Hubby insisted an extraction, then I can shop for implant prices. After getting a rough estimation from a good friend in Ipoh, I settled for root canal here. At least over and done with.

Double sigh.... I am right now grinding that ridiculously expensive enamel, which every now and then still gives me that funny jolt, which denied me from food, and the only thing to eat comfortably so far was baked beans.

And with Aidan finding amazement and amusement, at my expense. He finds the temporary white patch rather peculiar.



Mama, let me see. Mama, see teeth?