EF #26: Me, The Dentist, and The Broken Molar

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.