It's perhaps best described as a backroom operation (not quite seedy).
A small clinic tucked in a row of shops, it has one tiny backroom, in the middle of which is one dentist's chair.
I wasn't the least bit bothered by the lack of space. My regular dentist also operates out a tiny little room on premises shared with a regular GP. Don't ask why I didn't go to my regular dentist for this, though, I'm not quite sure. I got the impression she didn't do that procedure but after giving it some thought, I wouldn't bet on that impression being accurate.
Anyhow, what was weird was how the Chinese dentist and the Indian dental assistant were so ... loud. Do aunties like them generally occur at the dentist's? Those I've been to tend to be rather quiet and clinical. The dental assistant even persisted in engaging me in conversation after the procedure - when I couldn't feel the lower left half of my face, and was apparently bleeding from a gaping hole in my mouth caused by the unceremonious exit of a fairly large tooth.
The longest needle that's ever been stuck in my very conscious flesh appeared without much fanfare. It struck (3 times) without much fanfare either. The problem with long needles, I reckon, is that it's easy to let it stray off the straight and narrow on the way out. When that happens, the tip scrapes against the flesh, causing more pain on the way out than in. Woe is me.
After that, I lose all feeling in my lower left jaw (including half of my lips). A metal spade-like implement is produced and the dentist digs in, complete with scraping sounds echoing in my head. When that's done, a pair of pliers is used in what seemed like a tug of war with a stubborn nail. The dental assistant's daughter had even been recruited to hold my head down. Can't really complain about the lack of pain, but the labourous pulling caused my tongue to pushed back into my throat, thereby impeding the breathing process. Fortunately, the tooth gave up the fight before I suffocated.
That night, I swallowed a painkiller and applied ice to my jaw when all feeling returned.
The next three days, I have trouble swallowing as I've apparently sprained my tongue in the Fight with the Tooth. Even had trouble yawning - they tend to be extinguished by pain halfway through. How thoroughly unsatisfying. But I can swallow much better now, so no doubt the yawns will be back in force.
