Parenting Times: Brand New Tooth

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Brand New Tooth

After 4 visits to the dentist and a big painful dent in the pocket, I've finally got a brand new molar!

The 4 visits:

To clean out the roots
To put in the filling and allow it to set
To put in two screws/posts into the filling and take a mold of the tooth
To put in the new crown

Tadaaa! And so.. that was how I got my new tooth. So now I've got 9 crowns altogether! My crowning glory is not on my head, its in my mouth. I've got a fairly expensive smile! Hehehe.

Many years ago, I had the other 8 crowns fixed for my upper teeth to replace my awful discoloured teeth. Yup! They were awful. Looks like some of those smoker's teeth, not just in one colour but in various shades of yellow, brown and black. You get the drift? (through no fault of my own , mind you? I brush! I was told it was due to some antibiotics mum took when expecting me).

And so I went to get them fixed. Like in extreme makeover like dat and although it was expensive, I'm glad I did. Otherwise I would have been a sullen, unsmiling bride in my bridal photographs or I would have to smile a strange twist of a smile that would not show much teeth like I did in the old days.

During my recent visit, my dentist asked whether I would like to have my lower teeth fixed. She says nowadays they have a new technology to get it done. They will merely do veneers over the teeth instead of crowns like in the old days. Its supposed to be cheaper too. Chey! And to think of all the pain I went through having my teeth drilled and shorn off and having my gums cut and sewn all for the sake of beauty. (*kicks self*)

Anyway, I digress. She told me she has done a few and showed me some before and after pics. Fuiyoh! Cool man. The change in their faces with a lighted up smile really makes a difference. The veneers not only fixes discoloured teeth but it straightens them out as well turning awkward shapes and gaps into flashing smiles.

But RM500 per tooth (thats how much it'll cost) is really way too much lah! (she figured I would need to get 8 done and the process would take 3 hours unlike the many visits I had to endure fixing the 8 crowns years ago). So unless I strike lottery and have 3 hours to spare on a lazy afternoon (which is never), I'll settle with my half smile (that don't show my lower teeth), thank you very much!