The orthodontist

I’m back from my first visit with my orthodontist, a kindly old Singh whose face I couldn’t see because it was hidden behind his green mask.

As I sat there in my ‘for-home-only’ shabby pirated Hard Rock Cafe shirt, this receptionist in her 20s in all her sweet classiness appeared and chatted with my mum, as she had been attending to my mum through phone before. Valerie’s very attractive. ;P

Anyway, as I sat there reading my Bio book, I found it rather disturbing as I hear sounds of drilling, like a chainsaw grinding against some hard metal. My heart pounded. And I find it hard to concentrate what I’m reading, and it was distorted like this:

Tisu floem berfungsi mengangkut bahan makanan dari daun dan organ TEETH TEETH EVIL DRILL DENTIST PAIN TEETH TEETH AHHHHHHHHH.

I had always associated dentists and orthodentists with pain, blood, pain and pain. And weird drilling noises that send a chill throughout my system. And more pain.

The best thing about the place is its comfort and virtually there is no one else as this place adheres to strict punctuality. My appointment was at 8.45 p.m. but I arrived at 8.15.

I was called in, along with my parents, and the good doctor began examining my horrible natural teeth. You have a very prominent jaw, he said, just like your mother. My heart plummeted to my stomach when he said I require two other extractions on my lower jaw although it was in an okay condition, compared to the horrible upper jaw.

After doing that teeth model thingy which requires what possibly could be quick-drying cement inserted into my mouth and pulled out again, it was rinse repeat for the other jaw.

Next came the X-ray. I had to wear a heavy vest, bite upon something, with this X-ray machine around me. In fact, I felt like one of those tortured detainees from the Abu Ghraib prison. I was supposed to close my eyes as the machine circled me and droned with UFO sound effects for 30 seconds.

Then I was released.

The kind doctor asked me to “smile as widely as you can”, and I gave what I hope was a good fake grin, considering that my lips were dry from shock and slight nervousness and there was still some quick-drying cement thingy in my mouth. Apparently he was studying my facial construction.

It was about RM4,200 for my case, as it was rather “complicated and severe”, minus the fees of RM155 today for the consultation fees, quick-drying cement and X-ray.

It all started when my mum asked me casually whether I want braces and I simply nodded, equally in a casual fashion.

Let the horror begins.