19 March 2015, 2:25am
I cannot even begin to describe how I'm feeling right now. Less than 14 hours to my teeth extraction and I'm petrified. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a coward especially when it comes to pain. Pinch me in your lightest way possible and I'll still jump. The last time I had an injection was half a year back for my throat infection and I sobbed incessantly. I have such low pain threshold that my ears aren't even pierced
How am I going to overcome this fear of pain and go through not one, but EIGHT injections later to pull out FOUR teeth? Thinking about it is already terrifying enough, what about going through the procedure? I just can't imagine that. But I know it's something I have to do. A sacrifice so that I can feel better about myself.
I'm not the most confident person around and I often blog about my insecurities. Maybe it's the coming of age but one day I woke up and realised, you know what, if I don't like something then I'll change it. I'm turning 20 next year and I can't possibly live in this pool of self-pity and insecurity forever. It's time for me to grow up embrace change.
Since this is a pretty big milestone in my life, I thought I should pen them down before I forget the mixture of feelings that I have right now.
Of course I am frightened. Anyone would be, much less me. But I haven't reached the point of being panicky yet. Now I'm just trying to relax myself, eat some ice cream and my favourite snacks because I probably can't munch on those after my teeth extraction. I'm also trying to remind myself to think of the outcome more.
I cannot even begin to describe how I'm feeling right now. Less than 14 hours to my teeth extraction and I'm petrified. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a coward especially when it comes to pain. Pinch me in your lightest way possible and I'll still jump. The last time I had an injection was half a year back for my throat infection and I sobbed incessantly. I have such low pain threshold that my ears aren't even pierced
How am I going to overcome this fear of pain and go through not one, but EIGHT injections later to pull out FOUR teeth? Thinking about it is already terrifying enough, what about going through the procedure? I just can't imagine that. But I know it's something I have to do. A sacrifice so that I can feel better about myself.
I'm not the most confident person around and I often blog about my insecurities. Maybe it's the coming of age but one day I woke up and realised, you know what, if I don't like something then I'll change it. I'm turning 20 next year and I can't possibly live in this pool of self-pity and insecurity forever. It's time for me to grow up embrace change.
Since this is a pretty big milestone in my life, I thought I should pen them down before I forget the mixture of feelings that I have right now.
Of course I am frightened. Anyone would be, much less me. But I haven't reached the point of being panicky yet. Now I'm just trying to relax myself, eat some ice cream and my favourite snacks because I probably can't munch on those after my teeth extraction. I'm also trying to remind myself to think of the outcome more.
2.5 years from now, I will no longer have to smile like that.
I wouldn't say I was very insecure about my teeth to begin with. I know I have a cheerful smile and I've been told I look good with my current teeth (really a bit gross when I say it myself HAHAHA)
But I really never lie. Lolol.
But what I hated was my side profile. My side profiles look sooooo horrible because of my teeth and I never dared to post any candid #ootd photos of me. My teeth looks really gummy from the front and one of my top left tooth protrudes out so much, it's annoying. Even when I'm doing a tight lip smile, the tooth will protrude out and sometimes I resort to using Photoshop to conceal the tooth.
Protruding tooth
Gummy smile
But these reasons weren't enough for me to visit the dentist for a consultation because of one very simple reason - I am EXTREMELY scared of pain. Then why did I man up and book for a consultation with the dentist in the end?
The dental clinic was providing a free consultation.
Yes, spoken like the true Singaporean that I am.
I thought to myself, "If the dentist say I can do Invisalign, I consider lah. But if braces I sure cannot take the pain one. Never mind, free anyway and no obligations what. Free, so I should just go!!!"
I cannot stand myself sometimes?!?!?! My mind was just so filled FREE FREE FREE FREE and nothing else. If I'm already so auntie now, what will I be when I'm older?! Lol. But anyway, I digressed.
I went to the dentist, expecting our conversation to be like
But nope, he actually said my teeth is suitable for Invisalign!!! :-))))) But it would take 2.5 years and cost $7500. :-(((((
Did you hear that? Yeah, it was the sound of my heart breaking.
That consultation was around October 2014 and I just gave up on the thought of fixing my awfully misaligned teeth. I had a few talks with my mom about it but I didn't take anything seriously since I come from a below average income family and we obviously have no way to raise that kind of money.
Come January 2015, somewhere between my hell weeks, my mom told me to call the dentist so that I can book the first appointment for my X-ray. She said to me in Chinese, "After you pass this hurdle in life, everything will go smoothly for you. As long as mommy is still alive and working, I will try to find a way for you."
I cried upon hearing those words and I will never EVER forget those words.
My mommy is my strength.
As the Chinese saying goes, 谈钱伤感情 (money spoils relationship). My father's and my relationship has never been excellent but it deteriorated further while we were trying to raise this money to fix my teeth. But my mom, being the super mom that she is, managed to raise enough money.
29 January 2015 was my first official visit to my dental, West Coast Dental.
They were playing Ah Boys to Men 2 and I was enjoying the show while the dentist put some playdough-like material into my mouth so get the mould of my teeth.
The taste of the mould was quite bad and it made me gagged at least three times but distracting my mind with the movie made the time pass by faster and before I know it, both sets of moulds are done!.
Only took a photo of the bottom set because I was a bit too embarrassed to keep taking photos as if I'm in some sort of exhibition. After the mould was done, the doctor took several photos of my teeth and my front and side profile, perhaps to display at his dental that he managed to solve such a difficult and serious case of misaligned teeth lololol.
Again, I was too shy to ask for the official photos so I'll just upload my noob photos to show you how bad my teeth looks.
Just a disclaimer that the two black dots in my bottom two teeth aren't decayed teeth but are fillings I had since primary school. So don't make fun of my teeth on my askfm okay - they have fillings. GEDDIT GEDDIT?! Fillings and feelings. What do you mean by it's not funny?!?!
Anyway, my teeth are so crooked because of an overcrowding issue so I'll have to extract four teeth to fix that.
After which, I did an X-ray to see if there are more hidden teeth that I need to extract *shudders*
Thankfully, apart from looking like a dinosaur walked into the X-ray room instead of a teenage girl, there's no other problem with my teeth.
The only thing is that I have one fully grown wisdom tooth and three currently growing wisdom teeth. My wisdom tooth is the drunk one that's laying sideways on the bottom left. God, what's it about my mouth that makes my teeth behaving so stupidly. The only thing I'm thankful for is that the growing of my wisdom teeth didn't hurt one bit. Really grateful for this.
Since my only wisdom tooth currently is hidden from view, it's not much of a hindrance to my life yet - I might have to extract that when I'm older but I'll just let tomorrow worry for itself wtf. We'll cross the bridge when we reach it.
After everything, I went to the front desk to book an appointment for my teeth extraction and I was free to go. That's all for my recap and my next update will be on my teeth extraction already!
19 March 2015, 3:59am
Time check: 12 more hours!!! I can feel the impending doom. Time to get some rest so that I have sufficient energy to face my biggest fear. Good night, everyone! :-)
29 January 2015 was my first official visit to my dental, West Coast Dental.
They were playing Ah Boys to Men 2 and I was enjoying the show while the dentist put some playdough-like material into my mouth so get the mould of my teeth.
Certainly not how I'd like to be remembered if I were to die tomorrow.
The taste of the mould was quite bad and it made me gagged at least three times but distracting my mind with the movie made the time pass by faster and before I know it, both sets of moulds are done!.
Really crooked teeth :(
Only took a photo of the bottom set because I was a bit too embarrassed to keep taking photos as if I'm in some sort of exhibition. After the mould was done, the doctor took several photos of my teeth and my front and side profile, perhaps to display at his dental that he managed to solve such a difficult and serious case of misaligned teeth lololol.
Again, I was too shy to ask for the official photos so I'll just upload my noob photos to show you how bad my teeth looks.
So now you can see why I really need Invisalign.
Just a disclaimer that the two black dots in my bottom two teeth aren't decayed teeth but are fillings I had since primary school. So don't make fun of my teeth on my askfm okay - they have fillings. GEDDIT GEDDIT?! Fillings and feelings. What do you mean by it's not funny?!?!
Anyway, my teeth are so crooked because of an overcrowding issue so I'll have to extract four teeth to fix that.
These are four teeth that I'm gonna extract later on.
(Don't mind my bad complexion and the swollen and dried lips. These photos are taken at 4am. Nobody looks good at 4am *excuses*)
After which, I did an X-ray to see if there are more hidden teeth that I need to extract *shudders*
My side view which I loath.
Thankfully, apart from looking like a dinosaur walked into the X-ray room instead of a teenage girl, there's no other problem with my teeth.
The only thing is that I have one fully grown wisdom tooth and three currently growing wisdom teeth. My wisdom tooth is the drunk one that's laying sideways on the bottom left. God, what's it about my mouth that makes my teeth behaving so stupidly. The only thing I'm thankful for is that the growing of my wisdom teeth didn't hurt one bit. Really grateful for this.
Since my only wisdom tooth currently is hidden from view, it's not much of a hindrance to my life yet - I might have to extract that when I'm older but I'll just let tomorrow worry for itself wtf. We'll cross the bridge when we reach it.
After everything, I went to the front desk to book an appointment for my teeth extraction and I was free to go. That's all for my recap and my next update will be on my teeth extraction already!
19 March 2015, 3:59am
Time check: 12 more hours!!! I can feel the impending doom. Time to get some rest so that I have sufficient energy to face my biggest fear. Good night, everyone! :-)
