Keeping Our Teeth Healthy

They say that toothache is among the greatest pains one can suffer. I didn't realize the truth in this until I experienced it myself.

One of my teeth on the upper left side used to have filling or pasta which kept on getting dislodged and replaced through the years. Unable to visit my dentist due to the quarantine, I only had it treated on February 22 together with dental cleaning. The dentist advised that an extraction wasn't necessary. But boy was she wrong.

On the third day, there had been intensifying pain and by March 1, I already had swollen gums. As my original dentist was unavailable, another dentist attended to my needs and said that filling shouldn't have been applied but instead, the tooth was due for either root canal or extraction. Knowing that there's no guarantee of saving the tooth for several years, I opted for the latter. It seems to be healing fine now and I'm able to smile like the way I used to.

But why did I have to write about this? Merrywanna has been a journal of my happiest and toughest experiences. This would be a reminder not to take oral health for granted. No more sleepless moments when I had to put toothpaste on a cotton ball as a temporary remedy. When even a drop of water getting in contact with my tooth caused a lasting, piercing sensation. When I was almost unable to work, chewed on one side, and turned to Sensodyne Rapid Relief, Mefenamic, and antibiotics.

Looking back at the peak of my misery, it's funny how my husband said "Try to think of something more painful that you've experienced, until that pain goes away" and I replied "Well, I used to have a high pain tolerance and... I really can't think of any! This is the most painful!"

So if you haven't experienced this yet, don't wait until it's too late. Until you can no longer laugh or even smile. Take care of those precious teeth with regular brushing, replacing your toothbrush every 3 months, flossing, and gargling with mouthwash.