Numb…

I wonder if any of you are in the same shoes but I have this uncanny fear of dentists. It must have started when I was a kid…and my brother had a toothache. So my dad took him to the dentist and for some reason, I had to tag along.  We went into the clinic…and my brother promptly got into the dentist’s chair.  The next instant, when I came to, I was lying on a bench outside in the waiting area. The dentist stood looming over me, growling, “You stay here! Don’t you dare go in there again!!!” That probably triggered off my phobia and to this day, I literally do not dare to go in again!

One year, around the Chinese New Year season, I had a feast of dried cuttle fish and my rotten molar got infected.  The pain was excruciating…and after one long sleepless night (and probably one whole bottle of Panadols), I staggered to the dentist the next day. He would not do anything as it was swollen, so he prescribed one complete dosage of antibiotics and told me to go back after a week! A week! I would be dead by then!!! Well, to cut a long story short, I went to see a Chinese sinseh and he massaged my hands in between the knuckles…and believe it or not, after a while, the pain was gone!!!

I did go back after a week to get that offensive tooth extracted…but since then, I know the secret to getting rid of toothaches. It has worked all this while…and I only go to the clinic when there is only a tiny bit of the decayed tooth left, much to the dismay of the dentist. He never minced his words when he reprimanded me, “Why didn’t you come earlier? There’s hardly anything left! No grip at all!!! If I can’t get it out, I’ll have to cut you up!!” Shudders!!!! Dentists!!!

Now before I end this post, I have a hilarious poem here that I would like to share with everybody.  It was written by S. H. Tan…and this was featured in one of his books, “Malaysian Potpourri” (Ultimate Pages Sdn Bhd, PJ:1995). See if you like it:

I’m sure you can imagine,

It’s as simple as can be.

The place is Jalan Imbi,

The people he and she.

She whispered, “Will it hurt?”

“Of course not,” he assured her.

“It’s a very simple process.

You can rely on me.”

“I’m rather frightened,” she said.

“I’ve not done it before.”

He started to convince her,

That it would not hurt a bit.

And finally she consented.

Then he started to work on it.

It was nearly an hour later,

Neither spoke a word.

It was she who broke the silance,

Her voice was rather blurred.

“Now calm yourself, my dear,” he said.

Her face betrayed her pain.

“Just open slightly wider,

So that I can put it in.”

It was getting more than painful,

The tears were in her eyes.

It was hurting quite a lot.

It must be out….thank God!

Then with a sudden shock,

She gave a great big shudder.

“It’s all over now,” said he,

In a voice that was slightly louder.

Now that you’ve read this carefully,

What do you make of it?

Aha…it’s a dentist you will find,

And not what you’ve been thinking!

That’s just your dirty little mind!!! 

P.S.: I’m still having problems inserting photos into my post, so thank God for small mercies! The food pics will have to wait a while longer…. LOL!!!