The Painful (and Costly) Removal of my Wisdom Teeth

My dearest blog,
Forgive me if I have neglected you. Trust me, not a day had passed that I didn't stress myself to finally update you. There's just so many things that have occupied my time and energy these past few weeks, including my oral surgery and the search for the perfect apartment. Okay, I'll probably start with the painful (and expensive!) oral surgery to remove my 2 impacted wisdom teeth.


Last year, I felt something strange in my mouth. There are 2 teeth which are starting to come out of my gums. There isn't really any pain at all but since it was strange, I googled it and right away I knew they were impacted wisdom teeth. Of course I went to my lady dentist and have her checked my set of teeth. The panoramic xray result confirmed they were impacted and they needed to be removed. If not, these teeth may cause extreme tooth decay and bad breath. On some unlucky and hardcore cases, these could cause cyst and tumor.

I got so scared! (ang gaga ko kasi, nanood pa ako ng madaming videos sa youtube kung pano ang oral surgery procedure). To make the story short, I postponed it. First, Im not ready to spend P10,000 for this operation. Second, Im flying to Singapore and Indonesia- and obviously I wont enjoy this trip if I've undergone a surgery. Third, Im scared (ulet-ulet?). Fourth, I dont have much Sick Leave to use after the operation. (convertible to cash ang SL namin, sayang naman.)

A year has passed and Im beginning to feel extreme toothache. Another not so good thing, my front teeth began to compress because the impacted teeth are pushing their way out. I know I don't have the perfect set of teeth, but at least they were aligned. Now, it became semi-crooked. Great. Now I needed to wear braces after the surgery to have my teeth aligned again. Ang gastos.

That's the time when I finally decided to have them removed. I really wished to have this surgery done in a fine dental clinic at The Fort, but the dentist quoted me P8,000 per tooth. Okay, that's just very steep for me. Too bad, health cards dont cover oral surgeries like this. So as always, I googled for some recommended (and reasonably-priced) dentists. I can't just risk any dentist to perform the surgery. One minor mistake could make my tongue numb forever.

panoramic xray of impacted wisdom teeth.
not mine, this lucky guy has 4 problematic teeth. ^_^

Based on recommendations, I chose Dr. Charlston Uy. Contact number is 708.8782 / 546.7841. His clinic is located at Celestial Marie Bldg., 950 AH Lacson Ave Sampaloc, Manila. It's just across UST.
I went to his clinic and had my panoramic xray done. Dr. Uy explained to me the condition of my teeth. I told him I wanted the two wisdom teeth removed on that same day. He said it's fine but it really depends on my pain tolerance. Oh well, pain is all is the mind- or so I thought.

The dentist sprayed something on my tooth. The 4-5 injections came next. It is a bit painful but very tolerable. Afterall, the anesthesia is beginning to take effect. I was watching the tv while the dentist proceeded with the extraction. In less than 10 mins, he had removed my 1st tooth and he began to stitch my gums. Bloody and gross!

He then asked me if he shall proceed with the next tooth. Oh dear, my whole mouth is so numb and swollen I cant even close my lips. However, I really wanted to have both of my teeth removed that day. Besides Im not even sure if I wanted to experience this pain again so might as well do it now. Isang sakit nalang for both teeth. After another 15 mins passed, both my impacted wisdom teeth were removed.

a fake and numb smile after the oral surgery

photo stolen from my brother's instagram

The operation went well and smooth, thank God. It was such a relief. I was advised to take 3-5 days of rest and mentioned the things I need to do for the post surgery recovery.

The cost: Dr. Uy charged me P500 for the panoramic xray and P8,000 for both teeth. The prescription drugs amounted to P2,000++. My P10,000 is gone in 1 day. Ouch.

Dr. Charlston uY
Oral Surgery, Orthodonthics, and Esthetic Dentistry
Celestial Marie Bldg., 950 AH Lacson Ave Sampaloc, Manila
tel 708.8782 / 546.7841 mobile 0917.596.6808
Clinic Hours: Mon-Sat (10am-6pm) Sun (9am-12:30 by appointment)

Two hours after, the anesthesia wore off. I hardly noticed that my tears started to fall. Haha. I began to feel the cuts and stitches in my gums. Ang sakit sobra. I immediately took pain killers and my mother prepared hot and cold compress bags for me. Other say I should've removed 1 tooth instead, but actually I dont regret it. I would never want to experience that kind of pain again so might as well just do it for once and it's over. Isa pa, ang mahal ng antibiotics! Mas tipid kung sabayan na ang paggamot. =)

Im a self confessed carnivore, and one of the hardest thing to do is not to eat meat for 3 weeks. Both sides of my gums cant be used for chewing so for 3 weeks I only ate mashed potato and macaroni soup. Ang lungkot ng buhay ko.

On the brighter side,

3 weeks of no rice and no meat = unintentional weigh loss ♥

Braces? I have plans, but Ive got no budget for that as of now. Mas mahalaga ang hefty bank certificate for the S.Korea visa application. ^_^

I still miss you blog.
♥ Chyng

Up next: Apartment101

My 7 Super Shots | Best of Travel Photos

Super late I know, but here's my version of 7 Super Shots. Thanks to those who tagged me. ^_^

...takes my breathe away

Fireworks never fail to fascinate me. Every year, I would brave the crowd just to witness the pyromusical competition at SM Mall of Asia. It's always a breathtaking moment whenever these fireworks are up on the air. |It's nothing but magic.


...makes me smile
Siargao is full of surprises. What I have in mind were to surf and of course swim with the stingless jellyfish in Bucas Grande. I didn't expect that I would also have a taste of their paradise beaches. Im just so happy to be there.

...makes me dream

Having watched the Masskara Festival upclose, I've felt a deep appreciation on how the locals take pride for being one of the participants of their much awaited street dancing competition. Their dedication is priceless. It's not about the prize, but the pride. Im dreaming to be part of a grand festival as well. San pwede mag-audition? ^_^

...makes me think

Whenever I travel outside the country, I always make it a point to visit the temples. Im just very interested to know more about their religious beliefs. This photo was taken in a Hindu Temple in Singapore. These Hindu gods and deities never fail to make me ask a lot more of questions. I cant help but be amazed with how their gods and goddesses look like.

...makes my mouth water

Im a fan of hotel buffets, and I always indulge with seafood delights. My favorites are grilled and barbecued styles. Edsa Shangri-La's HEAT offers the best versions. Thumbs up!

...tells a story

It's an ordinary summer day in Calaguas. Come night time, the rain started to pour hard and the waves showed its mightiest. My body was soaked in the rain and I have to endure the cold wind at the same time. I was praying and praying for the rain to stop. I really thought Im going to die. Hallejuah, the hysteria ended. I feel so blessed for experiencing another not-so-smooth adventure.

...im proud of

Taken at Esplanade, Singapore - this shot is simply made of luck. Not sure why Im proud of this shot, I just think this one's mesmerizing. That's all.



please bear with my blogging, im in pain. ive undergone oral surgery. jusko ang sakit pala. toinks!
anyway, have you watched Hannah and I's Bicol adventure? If not, here's PHL360's Episode 5:

Market Cafe Buffet at Hyatt Hotel

They say beauty is only skin deep, and the world is full of thin skinned people.
..but I just cant find those thin people anymore. Everyone's getting fat, including me. ^_^



What the heck, it's time for another hotel buffet adventure. But first, for those curious food trippers, here's the list of the best buffets Ive tried:
6. Seven Corners at Crowne Plaza
5. Basix and Crossover at Dusit Thani Manila
4. Cafe Ilang-Ilang at Manila Hotel
3. HEAT at Edsa Shangri-la
2. Marriot Cafe at Marriot Manila
1. Spiral at Sofitel

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Here's a promising addition to the list. Thanks to Deal Grocer for this discounted Market Cafe Buffet vouchers. For P990, this is one of the best yet reasonably priced hotel buffets I've tried. This Hyatt buffet will surely make me rearrange my best buffet list.

Hyatt Hotel Manila

Market Cafe at Hyatt Hotel Manila

Food Porn | Market Cafe Edition

Honestly Im not expecting much so it's quite a pleasure to find Market Cafe's buffet spread really satisfying. The hotel setup already delighted our eyes.

Rem checking out the variety of buffet spread

Appetizers

salad and cold cuts

loaf breads, cheese, and nuts

Western Selections

pasta station

brick oven pizza

rib eye and lamb chops

not the finest pero keri na teh ^_^

Chinese Cuisine

noodles and hot pots

shabu-shabu

dimsum and dumplings

roast duck, pork asado, etc

Japanese Cuisine

teppanyaki

sushi and sashimi

Seafood Corner

prawns, lobsters, oysters, and mussels

These buffet spread surely delighted our eyes, now it's time to delight our stomach.

rib eye, lamb chops, and pizza

seafood soup

a little taste of everything else

egg noodles with dimsum
super like

a taste of Binondo at Market Cafe

remay trying out the cuisine he likes the least! haha!

prawn tempura, miso soup, and a bunch of sushi

okay i almost finished everything when this photo was taken. haha!

buttered lobster

Again, for P990 this buffet was quite a steal! I also have to commend the staff for being very approachable and helpful. Plus points for Hyatt.

the family oriented sunday buffet at Hyatt Hotel

By the way, I need to mention that softdrinks and beers are unlimited as well. Wee!

unli soda and beer

cakes and everything sweet

local favorites

ice cream and halo-halo station

coffee icecream + mango yogurt

root beer float

For only paying under a thousand pesos, I surely would recommend this buffet. Quality and quantity spread for a not so steep price. I mostly liked the Japanese and Chinese items. Actually I would buy some Market Cafe vouchers again in the future. So sulit.com!


Speaking of dot-coms, this blog is nearing to be theformerchyngreyes.com! Ang tamad ko na magblog. Sino gustong mag-guestpost jan? ^_^

Meet my Underwater Camera, Hype

ola, may blog pala ako. hihi
im sooo busy with my new work. cant even open my blog and bloghop. sorry. and for the record, i got this camera 2 weeks ago but i still dont have the time to explore it. haha ako na walang time.


This is the one thing I should have bought a long time ago. Water is my element and it will always be the highlight of my every trip. It's just a mortal sin not to capture the moment of the underwater world. I could go on and list down more reasons so I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have my own underwater camera.

meet Hype, my Canon D20 underwater camera

You know Im biased and I'm born Canon-ista. The moment I heard about Canon's releasing its latest underwater camera called D20, I wasted no time and ordered it from Amazon. I knew it's my must-have. I have always been delighted with the captures of Canon D10, that's why I never hesitated to have it. Actually Im more excited to have this latest version of Canon's underwater camera.

katas ng retrenchment #2
may camera nga ako, wala naman akong travel. haha!

As I said, I still dont have time to explore its feature and I haven't really tried it yet. But in time, I will. And I will be proud to share the photos from Hype. (at kelan naman kaya yun?! haha)

Anyway, Hype is not for rent - but for my friends (Remay, Maricar, Leidy, Kat) you know Im very grateful for entrusting me your precious cameras, so yes you may borrow Hype in return. ;)

btw, have you watched PHL360's pilot episode? not yet? here's the link. WATCH NOW! ---> http://phl360.com/