Tour Of Melaka With Three Dental Clinics

After my first root canal treatment, I waited four months for the second one fixed on 10 August. Unfortunately, I had classes on Monday mornings this semester. So I had to cancel my appointment when the clinic's receptionist telephoned me last Thursday to confirm the date and the new venue. At first, I was told that my next appointment would probably be next year. Two days ago, the lady called me again to ask if I would be available this Wednesday as there was an available time slot. I was very free as well. The only small problem was that I had no idea on the location of the oral surgery specialist's clinic which had recently moved to Durian Tunggal.

Therefore, I left my house this morning before eight to make sure that I would not be late for my appointment at 8.30am. By following the sign board and asking an employee at a petrol station at Durian Tunggal, I easily found the Community Polyclinic. This was the third dental clinic I visited this year after the one in Alor Gajah and the other one in Melaka town.

I did not have to sit too long at the reception before I was called to the room. I would not say that I had joy when lying down on the dentist's chair. But at least I had peace, knowing that God was with me. Since my last experience at the Melaka Hospital, I seized this opportunity to pray for the dentist and his assistants.

First, the endodontist numbed my gums with a substance. Next, he injected a local anaesthetic that completely numbed the teeth, gums, tongue, and skin in that area. He separated the decayed molar from the other teeth with a protection and removed the temporary filling.

A nurse placed big sun glasses on my eyes to avoid water and tooth chips. The dentist also fixed on my mouth a rubber sheet with a hole in the middle to prevent my two rows of teeth from shutting anytime during the treatment. Then he started drilling into the pulp chamber with tools. He also used a beeping machine to detect something at my tooth but I did not know its exact function.

One hour later, the young specialist was still trying to scrap the infected pulp out of the root canals with broach files in different sizes. I was wondering why it took so long when the assistant asked the endodontist if he had found the pulp. Apparently the latter was not able to reach the end of the root canals. So he removed the rubber sheet on my mouth and instructed me to shift to the opposite room to take an X-ray of the molar. Even then I had no chance to close my mouth as something was still stuck inside it.

After studying the image, the endodontist realized that my root canals were slightly curved. Now he knew better how to deal with my tooth. We were back to the original room to continue the painless but visually unpleasant scrapping until he removed all the internal pulp and inserted some materials to the canals temporarily. Then we went to the X-ray room for the second time to check with another dentist if the shaping of the canals was satisfying. I was grateful that he did not show any impatience during the whole procedure. When I asked him by mumbling if everything was OK, he would always explain the current situation to me with his tender voice.

Lastly the dentist placed the temporary filling again. Since Dr Hussain last February, the opening of this tooth of mine had been sealed and unsealed four times! And what a blessing of it to be taken care of by three dentists all over Melaka...

My mouth had been kept wide open for two consecutive hours during the root canal treatment. Even if I had nagged for two hours, I would have closed my mouth sometimes to pause. So it was another record! When I drove away from the polyclinic, it was going to be 11am. The right side of my mouth was still numb. Thank God I had no class after that and could just quietly stay at the office.

The story of my visits to dental clinics has not yet come to an end this year. One more appointment is coming next month...