Some things in life are meant to be so...!!!!

December 07, 2009 - A day when I realized that I stay as I am, with a tooth that protrudes and hogs all the limelight, ahead of the other normal features that make up my face. Having said that, I have never been the one who lost sleep thinking about how to get my dental deficiencies right, I have lot of other things to pay attention to and worry about. But life is not only about how you think and feel about yourself, more often than not, you have to focus on how and what people perceive you as. On that note, there have been innumerable occasions when my friends and loved ones have advised me to consult a good dentist and find out a mechanism by which I can even out my teeth - to some extent at least. The reluctant me has successfully turned all those suggestions down, but for how long??!!! One fine day, a couple of my friends booked an appointment with a dentist for a consultation in the Ramakrishna Hospital, Coimbatore and the doctor I met there, promptly directed me to the Ramakrishna Dental College asking me to project my case to a few specialists there.

I did go and the rest as they call, is history.

Initially there was a laborious cleansing process, which I would call as exceptional. This was followed by me entering the X-Ray room for three different types of X-Rays, the most scary one was the one where the side view of my skull was captured. We met a doctor and she examined my mouth left right and center and she walked into another room where a Senior doctor was seated. What did I do? I quietly followed her with head held high, though there was fear running all over my body.

It was the elder of the doctors who started to explain me.

"Is surgery required??..Yes!..100%"

he started off with and went onto say,

"There are 7 departments when it comes to Dental sciences out of which, at least 4 of those have to work on you to get this right"

"An interesting case", he added on with a bewildered but confident look on his face. His slightly junior doctor sitting opposite to him, had a few things to say too.

"Doctor, Did you notice the mandible portion of it?", she quizzed.

- At this point I thought, "Oh yes, Finally there is someone who will provide a positive remark". I was soon brought down to earth as the listening Doctor replied, "That is a Class-III Deficiency, it has to be worked on extensively and brought down using an impacting operation" - My head had already started dwindling at this point. I simply hate visiting a hospital, leave alone staying there day and night.

The other doctor wasn't far off the mark. She pointed out that the final third of my face isn't off the right size as it should be, my lower jaw has to be de-impacted and I seem to possess a Molar deficiency, oh yes you heard it right, it is Molar. So far, I have heard about a Polar Bear and Solar Energy, but this molar aspect is an entirely new theory to me.

Another thing that is worth a mention - As the conversation was going on, two final year students (we were in a dental college, remember) who have to complete a thesis to get their degrees, had their eyes lit up looking at me as they would look at a specimen. They after all were assigned the task of studying my case, which according to them is both peculiar and interesting. But trust me, they will have a very tough time to comprehend the means by which this can be handled. If they manage to pull it off, I believe they will go on to become really successful dentists.

All these while, I was patiently listening to the doctor and only one thing went through my mind, which I promptly asked.

"Sir, Apart from looks, is there anything else that I stand to gain after this surgery and the eventual treatment?"

for which I got the answer, "Nothing, other than keeping your friends quiet". This was all that was sufficient for me to decide and conclude, "Let me stay as I am, let me at least keep away the trauma, pain and misery to myself and the people around me, during this venture". My intention of asking this was to ascertain there is nothing in this that would cause my health a concern.

After 3 years of Orthopedic treatment, 2 surgeries on my face, lot of tampering and adjustments here and there and spending a few thousands, if I look at the mirror and I end up not being able to recognize myself, that is the greatest agony anyone can undergo - I certainly wouldn't want to lose my identity.

Some things in life, are just meant to be so...Leave them as such, the originality has a value beyond the scope of imagination of anyone of us, so be it. Because, I have always felt, being dentally challenged isn't the end of the world, as I believe I am at least mentally stable, Am not I??!!!!

And Am I worried about anything that I have spoken about here??!! - Certainly not. Worry not, all you loved ones!!! As long as my health - which I feel is my strongest point - stays intact, I will be as joyous and smiling as I have always been.