Many of us have goals we want to achieve. Sometimes we tell others about them and sometimes not. Well, I had a goal I was pursuing that not many people knew about, but I did write about it 2 years ago. And two weeks ago, it came to an end.

I had my first tooth extraction, ever! I wrote about how I was proud of having all 32 of my teeth in the past. I set myself this goal many years ago. This may sound trivial, but it meant a lot to me.

You see, my late mother’s dental history was not a gold star. I remember her needing quite a bit of dental attention. Fillings, root canals, and extractions. I made mental notes to look after my teeth and to visit my dentist for my yearly maintenance.

The medical world links much (almost everything) to genes and I remember my dentist cautioning me. Which I did not buy into (I mention this in my article).

But back to my fateful moment. I was with a couple of friends having brunch when I bit a little hard on a piece of chicken and felt an excruciating pain at the back of my mouth. I realised quickly that it was my wisdom tooth.

I have chipped my teeth in the past and know the feeling. But this time I knew it was different. The pain was more severe. I could not continue eating. I was experiencing toothache for the first time.

I immediately called my dentist, and her receptionist told me there were no slots available that day. It was a Saturday, and weekends are their busiest days. In Malaysia, we are blessed that we have private dentists dotted around all cities. Private dental clinics take walk-ins, which is truly a blessing.

I did a quick check of dentists that were in the vicinity of the restaurant I was at. Unfortunately, there weren’t any nearby which was strange. I later found out that the one nearby had moved.

So, I decided to try another dentist near my home. I got home and called around and found one dentist who could see me in 2 hours. Whilst I waited at home, I ran my finger over my chipped tooth and thought I might be able to have it filled like I had done before.

I got to the dentist on time and at first glance, the dentist told me that my filling had come off. Yay, I thought. As she went to fill it, she realised that my wisdom tooth was cracked. The pain when she cleaned my tooth was so intense.

That’s when she told me the bad news. My tooth was cracked and the nerve was exposed. If it was any other tooth (besides the wisdom) they would try and save it via a root canal. But with wisdom teeth that is never a recommendation. So, the only option was extraction.

I was shocked. I couldn’t believe my ears. I took a moment to think. I was hesitant as I wondered if my dentist would be able to save it. I had made an emergency appointment for the following morning (Sunday – yes they work Sundays too) with my dentist.

I considered waiting and seeing her but that would mean suffering the pain for another 18 hours. With dinner and breakfast plans scheduled, I realised my options were narrowing down.

After a moment of deep but quick reflection, I told the dentist to extract my wisdom tooth. I was in tears. My long-term goal of having all my 32 teeth became history.

I was in awe of how fast she extracted it. The gum swelling took a while to subside. My gum is still swollen now, 2 weeks after the procedure. My left cheek was swollen for 5 days!

In a moment everything changed. I miss my tooth. But I am grateful for the 31 I still have.  

What are you grateful for today?

As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com

ps In case you are wondering, I brought my tooth home with me! 😉