It took me some time to decide which experience to write. Mostly,
my dentist-experience went well. Then, I thought that I needed to share the
worst experience since it’s important to know before your dentist do something
to your tooth.
In 2010, one of my molar teeth was broken. I ate rice and
unfortunately a small rock was strong enough to crack my tooth. After asking my
cousin which dentist I should go to, I went to a dentist who was my cousin’s
friend. The dentist checked my tooth and said that it should be removed since
the crack was big enough and couldn’t be filled. I agreed and he explained the
procedure. I signed the informed consent. He told me that another dentist would
do the procedure since it was a surgery and he didn’t have the right to do
that.
So, I went there again the next day. This doctor, let’s call
him dr.P, was as young as the first dentist. He started to inject anaesthetic
to my gum, pulled out my teeth, and it failed. My tooth stood still. Then, he
used a bigger tool and it was some kind of pliers. I still remember that it was
so big until my mouth’s corner got blister. It took him a while until he got...the
crown only! Okay, so if you don’t understand, the crown is the part of a tooth
that we can see. Under the crown lies the root. He left the root in my gum.
I wasn’t panic because I thought everything was fine until
the next TWO HOURS I sat there with my mouth open and got more than one
injections. In the end of the session he said that he failed and I should have
and X-ray and go back again the next day.
My gum was stitched with black thread (believe me you don’t
wanna see that) and I cried on my way home because it was extremely painful
after the anaesthetic’s gone. I tried to be strong, got an X-ray, and went back
there again.
He looked my X-ray result carefully and said he found out
why the crown was separated. Every tooth has two roots and this molar’s roots
were bent like they were holding hands. So it’s kinda locked to the bone or
something. Okay, I hope everything’s fine. Then, the surgery took another TWO
HOURS. Can you believe it? It wasn’t successful!!!
The dentist said that I better go to dental hospital at
Gadjah Mada University because there might be more help because there were more
dentists. I couldn’t think of anything unless saying yes. Don’t ask me how it
felt.
The next day I went to work with a swollen face. My face
wasn’t symmetrical and one of my student’s mother asked what happened. I told
her the story. Her husband was a dentist and guess what, she told me that what
I experienced was a malpractice. Every doctor who is still studying to be a
specialist should be supervised by his “lecturer”. In my case, dr.P did the
surgery himself.
Coincidentally, the first dentist called me and said his
apology and told me that I didn’t need to pay (it should be Rp 400.000). He still referred me to the
dental hospital. When I went home my mother was surprised seeing what happened
to me and said, “One of our relatives is a senior dentist. Go meet her.”
Alhamdulillah, my mom’s cousin is a specialist in Oral
Surgery (Spesialis Bedah Mulut). She pulled
out my roots only in 30 minutes without any pliers or tools that were more
appropriate for wood and wall. She asked me who made me like this. When I
answered “dr.P” she seemed to know who he was. It cost me Rp 800.000 because
she gave me discount, plus it was a public hospital.
Lessons learned: got an X-ray before you pull out your
tooth.
This is a part of BEC's English Friday Challenge.
I mean the post, not the surgery.
