THE IMPUDENCE OF A TOOTHACHE- #bring back our twaapia

A Nii Commey Handwriting

In the beginning was toothache…

Before I continue with this topic, I want to emphasize that you will appreciate this piece much better if you had had one form of toothache experience or the other. I am talking about that moment when you begin to wish that your mother should have had a miscarriage during her nine months journey to drop you on earth. Seriously, toothache can frustrate the hell out of you and make you taste a bit of hell. That’s why I was not really surprised when a female patient…or should I say a woman has fallen as prey to the predatory claws of toothache at the dentist, branded toothache  as “a weapon fashioned against humanity by the devil, which is more excruciating than the pain at the maternity ward”. For her, there is neither sickness so excruciating, nor pregnancy so throbbing like toothache. I’m talking about a mother of two who didn’t deliver through caesarian. That is just to expound how someone perceives toothache. It’s debatable though!, which is more excruciating than the pain at the maternity ward”. For her, there is neither sickness so excruciating, nor pregnancy so throbbing like toothache. I’m talking about a mother of two who didn’t deliver through caesarian. That is just to expound how someone perceives toothache. It’s debatable though!

Silence! Noise making is prohibited in this OPD

The most silent ward or OPD you will come across is that of the Dental Area. You know you are in a typical dentist area when you meet about 20 people at the Out Patients Department (OPD),who welcome you with a loud shout of silence. Everybody looks at you with no smile nor frown. For a moment you will begin to wonder whether it is a gathering of the deaf and dumb. No! it’s by the cruel courtesy of toothache. Don’t mistake the support of their chin to be a sign of meditation. It’s an attempt to adopt a natural remedy to bring temporal relief while waiting for THE DENTAL MESSIAH.

The fact is..

 “Far too many people suffer in silence and avoid going to the dentist,” says Karen Coates, spokesperson for the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF).

The saga of Oko Tetteh

I remember very well when Oko Tetteh, my childhood friend returned from a football match and decided to grab a very cold water(really cold to the point of flaking) to quench his burning thirst An attempt to enjoy the water turned into a bitter experience. The water knocked his sensitive premolars which were under the mercy of “the toothache rebels”. It was as though a sledge hammer had been hit on his teeth. Oko spontaneously spewed the water with the speed of a sneeze, fell on his knees, firmly holding his jaws in agonizing pain, screaming.  It was so frightening I had to start searching for an ambulance. At this point, drops of tears had started trotting from his eyes. For three minutes, my bosom friend visited hell before finally calming down.

That is what it means to feel the pain of a toothache when you take cold or hot water or foods. There are other forbidden activities when you have toothache!  Another factor is THE SUGAR FACTOR (save for another day)

Regular check-ups

When you live in a society like mine, where people believe in “cure is better than prevention”, then you will understand how many people visit the dentist as per the requirement. Please don’t even make the attempt of asking if I go myself. Just concentrate on the facts and information I am providing. Regular checkup is very very important. I don’t want to give you what the medical experts are saying about how many times you should visit the dentist, since I know you will not comply. Just make sure you visit the dentist frequently. Period!

#Bring back our Twaapia

Its amazing how we have suddenly deserted our age old natural toothbrushes: the potency of twaapia, the solidity of saawie/ taa kocha (plantain stem and the rest)

If the best fluoride, they say, is saliva, don’t our natural toothbrushes produce enough salvia to combat these “dental suicide bombers?” 

 

Causes

So who are those rebel leaders behind toothache? Fizzy drinks like FANTA, COKE, and SPRITE are acidic, even if they don't contain any sugar. Its, therefore, advisable to drink fizzy drinks through a straw, which keeps the liquid away from the teeth and minimizes your intake.' Gum infection, can also eventually destroy the gum, the teeth and even the bone if left untreated. 

Pain relief

Gargling with salt water will help to soothe irritated gums. Pain relief can temporarily help with dental pain. But hey! Its just a relief. An angry toothache doesn’t care about your so called salt water. 

Prevention

Regular trips to the dental hygiene can help ensure that plaque is not allowed to build up on the teeth, leading to cavities and more serious conditions, such as periodontal disease.

Simple strategies, like resisting snacks throughout the day, can cut the risk of developing teeth problems. 

Its My Pleasure

That’s all folks! Hope that as you embark on this new journey to win the battle of toothache you shall also tell your siblings, friends, relatives and loved ones to keep a good oral hygiene.

Toothache is very disrespectful. It can make you lose appetite on your birth or wedding day. It doesn’t care your credentials. It can hit you like a tsumani. BEWARE!

 Share with me all your toothache experiences. ITS MY PLEASURE is the lighter side of life. Lets get interactive now.