My Dental Hell

The young girl in medical uniform invited me to the dental room. Faithfully I explained what was wrong with my teeth (yes, teeth, multiple!) She did the usual dental thing and examined me with the big lamp, gently poking and knocking around in my mouth. Then she said with an apologetic expression, ‘Unfortunately we don’t fill the last molars.’

‘Why?’ I asked in disbelief.

‘We consider it a waste since they are not useful to you and they will be the first to come out anyway,’ she explained candidly.

The reason I had come here in the first place was because I was in serious pain from one of my molars and two others needed a refill (by now you’re wondering what’s up with my teeth. I don’t understand it either.)

‘So what now?’ I ventured.

‘I recommend extraction,’ the lady continued.

‘On all those teeth?’

‘Those teeth are useless to you,’ she carried on with medical confidence.

I weighed my options. Lose all those teeth? No way! I was sure there were dentists who would indulge me (for a fortune, of course) and work to save my teeth for a few more years, by which time I should be rich enough to afford permanent implants. Coz, trust me, I ain’t putting dentures at this age… that would quickly kill romance!

So I hurriedly said my thank yous and goodbyes and bolted out of the dentist’s chair. Driving back home I couldn’t help but feel cheated at the long journey I had made to this hospital hoping to get good service for less bucks. Now my fuel was spent for nothing, never mind the pain in my tooth was still drilling holes through my jaw (I think a toothache has tools, and satanic rhythm. Those who’ve been there know what I mean, not to mention it delights to torment at night, when you should otherwise be asleep…)

The following day I dragged myself to my trusted dentist. I explained my situation and she did the usual poking and X-rays, then delivered the verdict. Two to be filled, one definite extraction. Oh well, much better than the other place, though I dreaded the mention of the word extraction. I will do anything to avoid an extraction.

I knew I had to agree. And so started the process, one day per week for three weeks, of repairing my molars. The fillings went fine, no drama there. Then the day came for the extraction.

My heart beat like a drum the whole time I was in the waiting area, then reached a crescendo when my name was called. Try as I did I could not relax. The young lady (this one was young too) did her best to calm me down but nothing doing. She would just have to put up with my heaving chest and grimacing face.

You see, this is one of the teeth I had tried to hang onto successfully for the last 7 years. The same dentists had done a root canal but over time the tooth had become useless and now had to go. So I anticipated trouble in its extraction. And it did not disappoint.

The lady must have spent thirty minutes working on that tooth. Trauma, the internet guys call it. A traumatic extraction. Which led to a dry socket which led to pain as I’ve never before experienced in my life three days after extraction. I had to go back for follow-up and pain killers as I just couldn’t go on this way. Well, the dentist said the X-ray showed my tooth was healing fine and just did whatever it is they do for a dry socket.

I did a lot of internet research and found many who had gone through the same hell. Indeed one suggested I stay away from sodas for a while and another said to have painkillers always as there would be flare-ups. Which must be what I’m experiencing now as I gorged myself on coke last Sunday believing to be completely healed only for the silly tooth to flare up again. And now I am on painkillers again as the pain almost feels like another toothache. One internet dentist cautions the bone could take months to heal even after the gum has healed. I totally believe them now and I’m staying away from anything corrosive until the bone talks to me and says, ‘hey, I’m healed!’

Maybe the first dentist was right, but no way was I going to lose three teeth just yet. However I learnt every extraction is unique and the fact that one tooth came out within seconds and healed pain-free is no guarantee that everything would always go that smooth. If I didn’t have earlier and better experience with my dentist, I would never have gone back there for what I suffered this time round.

Oh well, this world of never-ending pain!…..

Childhood Nostalgia...

Childhood memories usually fill me with momentary nostalgia as I remember the happy days of play, play and more play. My immediate neighbourhood consisted of extended family and a friendly neighbour just beyond the fence, so the children around the compound were quite a troop.

My last thought as the last school bell rang each day would be 'bye bye tight place and welcome sweet home of play.' And even though there were chores to be done here and there, they were really nothing compared to the toil of the school day, and could be just as much fun if one managed to rally the other kids to help.

Being young and foolish is a chance every kid must be allowed to have. Free of cares free of worries. No thoughts of cost of food, rent, school fees, transport... name it. After all, mum and dad provided that. Mum brought the food and dad did the 'bigger' things. Why worry about anything...? Who needed money then, except for sweets?

School wasn't exactly funless either, rising like really early and joining other kids for a joyful morning procession. (Not everyone was always happy though depending on what one might have done to offend a teacher in school the day before and what manner of punishment awaited them in school. Some would be carrying all manner of tools in readiness for the task ahead like cutting grass, gardening, cleaning etc.)

The idea of learning new things, meeting all these other kids from all over, and the ever constant promise of a better life afterwards, made school a sacred place not to be missed by the aspiring child. In my case, the thought of what dad would do to me if I even imagined quitting school was enough to keep me going and saluting the powers that be there.

We had so much space for play at home, so much freedom. I believe we grew up well and properly adjusted for simple reasons like lots of fresh air, lots of exercise (what with no TV...), healthy diet (what with no processed foods...), and friendship. Suspicion was minimal as opposed to today's tense, mean and dangerous atmosphere. There are all sorts of nutters out there these days.

Money had little to do with it (though a little bit of it did no one no harm). Quality of life, it turns out, does not always match your piggy bank. Consider some of the fellows you considered well to do while growing up. Where are some of them today?

If there is one thing about my childhood though that I was glad to leave behind, it was Primary school. I never would go back there! I consider it the worst experience of my life (in comparison, of course). My High school days were absolutely a joyful ride after those 7 years in Primary school. I mean teachers there were simply mean - the cane, horrible punishments (some lived just to invent new ways of inflicting pain on the pupils), early hours and the daily walk to and fro, to name but a few. Am sure pupils today thank God they weren't born in the days of the cane, just like in our day we thanked God we weren't born in the days of boot camp (primary school was something close to that in my father's day judging from the harrowing stories he told).

Other than that, I miss everything else and retain sweet memories of baby bliss. Granted, no one really wants to be a child again (being told what to do all the time, not earning your own money...). But the memories are good, and the experience shaped my life to what it is. Bend a tree when it's still young. I hope our kids will grow up to say the same. I hope we provide them with an enabling atmosphere.

I hope we don't lock them up in tight block of flats and forbid them to go out and play because of what we consider danger lurking outside. I hope we don't make the TV their babysitter as we busy ourselves with other things. I hope we don't produce couch potatoes while our parents brought us up so differently... I hope we cook proper meals for them and spend quality time with them.

Childhood comes but once in a lifetime. Every child has the right to be a child, without a care in the world.

Closer Still...

Now I know there are mixed feelings about the passing of the Draft Constitution last night (01/04/2010), and the many walk-outs to deny quorum for amendments, but really, I gotta say those were too many amendments for a Draft that had earlier been almost unanimously agreed upon in Naivasha by the same lawmakers. Whoever coined the word mutilation on these attempts got it bang on!

And I too, like many others agree this is by no means a perfect Draft, but it’s by all means much better than our current one. There are a few things in there I too would contend with but hey, no one gets everything they want in real life, and yes…we can always debate later, after we are safely into a new and better Constitution and bye bye to the old one full of colonial undertones.

With all sincerity a nation’s constitution cannot be a forum for individual or even regional interests, but a unified national interest one, with reasonable regard to the general convenience of all regions and citizens concerned (not catering to every whim.)

Which parent is ever able to meet all the wants and demands of each individual child, or even sometimes, sibling gangs? Why would we expect a nation to be able to do what a family unit cannot manage?

Let’s learn to give credit where it is due. The committee of experts has done a great job, so has the Naivasha group, which demonstrated amazing and refreshing unity and maturity among our lawmakers.

Hopefully there is a way to iron out the really thorny issues before the referendum... I don't know. After twenty years of the same song, I for one would be glad to conclude it and move on to other things…

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