The diary begins, and teeth are one of my proud assets, clean and durable. I am indeed easily proud. Even with perfunctory brushing, there has never been a major accident. However, the unexpected happened when it came to tooth decay.
The Beginning of Decay#
I still remember it was a sunny Saturday, three days ago. I took my roommate to eat at a newly opened beef barbecue restaurant. They had a special offer of 1 kilogram of beef for 98 yuan. I thought it was a great opportunity to indulge. The waiter brought a plate of pre-seasoned beef, and I started grilling and eating. Normally, I chew faster than 90% of humans. There shouldn't be any bones in the beef, especially pre-seasoned ones. However, unexpectedly, there was a cracking sound as if I had bitten into a stone. Being stubborn, I continued chewing, and there was a faint sandy sound in my mouth, similar to the feeling of eating clams with sand. Since the texture mixed with sand wasn't pleasant, I spat it out to check what I had eaten. It was only when I saw a small piece of broken tooth that I realized something was wrong. I used my tongue to explore and found a missing piece inside the upper right corner of my tooth. The pain wasn't very intense, but I was alarmed, and even the beef in front of me lost its appeal. It was heartbreaking to experience breaking a tooth for the first time.
Solution#
Indeed, I couldn't stop thinking about the missing piece of tooth. These past two days, I have been using my tongue to touch the gap, feeling a bit of powdery substance being scraped off by my tongue. It's a bit sensitive, and my tooth feels slightly sore. Although it hurts, the next day, I still went to play badminton with my friends and ate barbecue and lamb leg. Of course, work couldn't compare to my priority of fixing my tooth. After the weekend, I took a day off and went to the best, largest, and most expensive dental hospital in the city to have my tooth checked. Following the usual procedure, I made an appointment online, got a number, and checked in. It didn't take long for my turn to come. Following the usual procedure, after examining my teeth, the dentist gave me a form for a 25 yuan dental X-ray. In the X-ray room, since I arrived early, there was only one person ahead of me. The X-ray room had a structure of two rooms, with the doctor operating outside and the patient being X-rayed inside, separated by a glass window. The doctor asked me to wear a heavy collar, seemingly made of lead, to shield me from radiation. Then, they gave me a stick-like object covered with a disposable transparent film, confirmed the position of my tooth, and asked me to bite down. It was over in a few seconds. Then, I went back to the doctor's small room for a follow-up examination. After waiting for a while, it was my turn. The doctor checked my dental X-ray and confirmed that my tooth's interior was not damaged. Only a dental filling was needed, which relieved my worries. However, as someone who had never had a dental filling before, I was not familiar with the process. The doctor asked me to lie down, so I did. They took out a syringe and a dental drill, and I was extremely nervous, afraid that they might accidentally give me anesthesia or drill a hole in my tooth. The general process of my dental filling was as follows:
- Removal of dirt and bacteria from the tooth surface
- Use of a dental drill to clean the infected area for the subsequent filling
- Filling the gap with dental filling material using a syringe, restoring tooth function and shape
- Adjustment and polishing to ensure the comfort and bite adaptability of the filling
- Instructions on what to avoid, such as chewing hard food in the near future.
There was a slight sour and painful sensation during the process, but it wasn't very intense. The main issue was my psychological tension. If I had the option for general anesthesia, I would have chosen it without hesitation. The adjustment and polishing took a while because I always felt that the filled tooth protruded, and I felt something foreign when I tried to bite. In the end, there was no way to adjust it, so I ignored the discomfort. However, I have already adapted to it now. Perhaps I had already gotten used to the feeling of having a gap in my tooth. I easily adapt to things.
The treatment cost me around 600 RMB, which is relatively expensive compared to my friend's dental filling cost.
Aftermath#
Now, my tooth still has a noticeable presence. My tongue occasionally licks the non-native area, and the sensation is different, with a slight unevenness. It is said that it will become smooth with time. Oh, and one more thing, my tongue gets foamy when I lick it. I took some vitamins to see if it could help.
Finally, to protect my appetite, I will take good care of my teeth.