I went to the dentist again today for a checkup as the filling that the dentist did last week didn't really stop the sensitive feeling in my tooth. It did help, but not 100%. The affected tooth felt weak and doesn't have the full strength to bite on hard food. Just a recap - a small part of my lower back tooth was chipped off after I bit into some sand in the marinated spinach appetizer at a Korean restaurant. Since that fateful day, I have now developed a phobia of biting into green leafy veggies or anything hard.
The dentist did a checkup and sensitivity test on the tooth and told me that because the top part of the tooth (the crown) is chipped, this has exposed the nerves and blood vessels in the pulp (the inner soft tissue of your teeth) underneath, leading to increased tooth pain and sensitivity. A filling cannot be done on the crown. The best way to resolve the issue is by way of a tooth crowning. And that is going to cost me between RM900 - RM1,200 per tooth, depending on which type of crowing I want. I need crowning for several teeth as a few of my teeth have chips on the crown. And that's going to cost me a few thousand bucks in order for me to eat better and look prettier!
I'll put this dental need on the back burner and relook into it in another few years. I hope I don't have to proceed with the crowning procedure earlier.
Today's damage is RM180 for two fillings. The procedure today was to remove the old and black fillings from two front teeth and had them replaced with new fillings the color of my teeth.
Dentists earn really good money. Seeking dental treatment for pain relief or orthodontic treatment is inevitable and not something that we can ask Google and self-treat at home. I'd spent almost RM20k on braces for Alycia and Sherilyn.
And this is why there are about 10 dental clinics in my neighborhood. Half a dozen of these clinics were opened during the MCO. I hope my two younger daughters would consider a degree in dentistry as I see so much potential in this career 😬