Teeth Extraction

               "Akshaya can we extract ur teeth next week?" my dentist asked me casually in a tone as if it's an easy job like cutting the hair when he was done examining my teeth and after i told him i still found it to be protruding a bit.The colour drained from my face as the words sunk into my mind.I looked blankly at my parents sitting on the chairs placed opposite to the Doctor's table.Amma's eyes became wide and she looked back at me. Appa's mouth curved to settle into a small smile[he always said that my teeth would go inside better if i extracted them].Deep inside my head,i knew this procedure would be highly effective and so nodded my head slowly at my dentist.I opened my mouth and heard myself asking him,"How many teeth will you extract,Dr?" even though i knew what he was going to say.He again held his cool,casual tone and said,"4 teeth-2 in the upper and lower jaw on both sides" confirming my answer.

              I nodded again,swallowing hardly.Appa went on asking him about it and the Dr gave his explanation.[Removing 4 of the teeth will provide better spacing for the teeth to push in better and thus fill in the gap's of the extracted teeth] I sat there,hardly listening to them,lost in my own thoughts,thinking,imagining about the pain i would have to suffer during and after the extraction.After they had stopped talking i smiled at my Dr, embarrassed about what i was going to ask him,"if he would be giving me a local anaesthesia and if it will be painful".He replied back saying,"Ofcourse not! Not a bit of pain,u'll just have to follow the instructions post extraction.That's all!" and booked the appointment at 7:30 P.M the following Monday.

            I dreaded about the whole thing for the next three days.My friends laughed,as i told about my extraction calling me a "Grandma without teeth" and others who had done it reassured me,trying to convince me that it won't be painful at all and that the area would become numb after injecting some anaesthesia in my gums....The thought of the injection on my gums added to my fears and i was praying Monday would never come...but it did.

Monday Morning at College: I was hardly my usual self,quite and not fooling around.My best friend Afrah told me,"Think about your dream boy Akshu,and you won't feel the pain".I gave her a deadly look but then thought i would consider it.By evening i was mourning to my friends and flashed them my teeth,smiling broadly telling them,"Have a last look at my beautiful teeth"........

I had my dinner at 7 P.M cos i won't be able to eat after the extraction,brushed and again flashed my teeth to my parents asking them to have a last look.....


At 7:30 P.M I arrived at the hospital which was a bit crowded.I settled at a seat beside my parents to wait for them to call my name whereas another part of me wished they wouldn't.I sat there,going back to my dreadful thoughts........

                "Akshaya" i heard my name being called at 7:45 after what seemed to be hours of waiting.I stood up and dragged my feet to climb up the stairs in the direction of the room and kept mourning to Amma,"Am not going....I don't wanna go...."

                I opened the door,gulping hardly...my Dr greeted me with a smile and i smiled back,trying to hide my fears.He asked me,"Are you ready?" and i nodded.He beckoned me to the Dental seat as i handed my specs to my mom.........

                I sat there,almost lying down as my Dr switched on the light opposite to me.I laid there,swallowing as i saw him coming towards me,holding an Injection,which seemed to be the most dangerous weapon on earth and shut my eyes tightly.I opened my mouth wide,praying and kept thinking to myself,"Come on...relax..it's just an injection...." trying to muster up all my courage and will-power.I felt a sharp pain....something more like an Ant-bite and a prick,nearly four times in the right side of my upper and lower jaws."Ok,done" i heard my Dr's voice and opened my eyes."You can wait in the opposite room and i'll come after 10 mts" he said. I nodded and got up, smiled a bit at Amma's apprehensive look and walked towards the door.

God....am done with the 1st part....i thought to myself.......

              After some seconds,I could feel the right side of my cheek bloating...expanding like a balloon....I touched my cheeks and felt it to be puffed up and could hardly open my mouth to talk.The injection had done it's work,working it's magic...helping the aneasthesia to settle into my gums and doing it's spell by making it numb.......

             Amma kept on asking me how i felt and i made noises,"Mmm mmm...meii maah" etc and started showing sign languages.I found the whole thing funny,inspite of the situation on listening to me own noises....

"Ok its numb....i won't feel a thing....." i thought to myself but as 10 mts passed,another part of me thought,"What if the Dr hasn't given me enough anaesthesia? What if it's effect grows less during the extraction...??" I tried to banish such thoughts and stay positive minded.....

            After 15 mts,the Dr and his assistant came in.By this time,my cheeks had become really numb.He beckoned me to the dental chair and i sat there...again becoming engulfed with my fears and doubts....my heart pounding faster than ever in my chest....my palms becoming chilled and dampened by the sweat.........

           Paralyzed with fear and rooted to the seat,i closed my eyes,as my Dr approached me....i could feel him trying to pull my lower tooth...but i could not feel the pain...only sense what he was doing..."Aaah! The anaesthesia is effective after all!!" I thought  to myself with relief...i suddenly became more relaxed....my fear fading away....I started thinking,dreaming about some happy thoughts..."of how beautiful i would look with perfect teeth and a dashing,gorgeous smile....." inorder to divert my attention. These helped tremendously to my surprise.....

          I could feel the Dr using a thread to pull out my tooth....again i felt no pain but could taste some of my fresh blood oozing out and the Dr pushing in some cotton to stop the bleeding.....

          He then started working on the next tooth on the upper jaw...this i figured out to be more stronger and more difficult to pull out...i could feel the Dr struggling his way to uproot the stubborn tooth....which resulted in my head bobbing to the left and the right...but again i felt no pain.......

         After a few more seconds of struggling,my Dr succeeded,pulling out the tooth which had lost it's hold...he pushed some more cotton onto the empty space as the blood started oozing out...

"Yesssssss!!!! I had done it!!! I have extracted two of my teeth and am still alive!" I thought to myself with joy not able to open my mouth with 2 swabs of cotton placed inside my mouth.......

The assistant handed me a piece of paper,"The Do's and Don'ts post Extraction"...i was supposed to keep the cotton undisturbed for another 45mts and avoid consuming anything too hot or too cold.

I nodded at my Dr,feeling helpless without being able to talk and left the room.As i walked in the reception section,i could feel some eyes staring at me,following my steps as i walked..."I must be looking funny with my mouth puffed up and shut tightly" i presumed.......

45 mts passed and i removed the cotton.The bleeding was still there and so i pushed in some more cotton inside the sockets...the effect of the anaesthesia diminished and started to become weaker.I could feel pain in my teeth...i took the painkillers prescribed for me and spent some more time making noises and showing sign languages in a way to communicate with my parents....and i hit the sack early......

The next morning the bleeding had stopped but the area still felt a bit raw and vacant and i found it difficult to brush my teeth..I had the course of tablets and felt much better later in the evening[bunked college that day :P]

I had the next appointment on Friday,to extract the next two teeth in the left side....Friday arrived and i felt more fearless and relaxed during the next extraction...the same routine followed......

           Thus i succeeded in extracting 4 of my teeth successfully! I hope that this will help in making my teeth better alligned.......

           And another thing I realized is that it was not the extraction that was painful or difficult but the bleeding which followed it.......

          The two sides of my upper jaws shows am toothless when i smile broadly so i constantly keep reminding myself not to smile "Eeeeeeee" like i always do......

         My Grandparents were the most sympathetic when they found out i had extracted 4 of my teeth.My Appupa was the most worried and was saying"Aiyoo! Who will want to marry my beautiful grandaughter when they find out she doesn't have 4 teeth??!!".I smiled and reassured him saying,"Don't worry Appupa,my teeth will fill in the gaps before i get married....."