Fear and Loathing of Dentists!

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I've been feeling sorry for myself for the past few days since my last posting. I've been in pain, with tooth ache!



I apologise to any Dentists that might read this, but how many of us like the idea of visiting a dentist?



The evening after my last posting on the 17th, I started to feel some intermittent pain. As the night went on it only got worse. I didn't sleep much.



In the morning I asked Mo who runs the guest house for advice. He suggested some tincture that I could buy. I also asked where I could find a dentist - but I wasn't that keen on visiting one if I could help it! I don't like visiting dentist in the UK, let alone in a poor African country.



A Dutch guy, who was staying in the guest house gave me some Ibuprofen, I only had Aspirin - Ibuprofen is a better painkiller. He and his brother have been living in Africa for some years and have just bought some property in Freetown in Sierra Leone. I asked them about the situation there - they say that the UN peacekeepers are firmly in control, and it is safe and secure - with lots of UN white four wheel drive cars in evidence!



Anyway, I bought some tinture, and treated myself with it. It seemed to be mostly made of Oil of Cloves.



I had been intending to go on a trip upriver - with the toothache, I changed my mind. I stayed in my room trying to see if I could get any sleep till 1pm. After that I caught a minibus to Banjul and visited the National Museum of the Gambia. After that, when I was eating in a restaurant the waiter suggested I stayed with friends of his when I was in Casamance.



That night the pain got worse, and I didn't sleep. So, the next morning I gave in and visted a Dentist first thing in the morning. I arrived before the dentist. Despite the pain I was smiling, something the woman receptionist commented on.



I had visions of extensive invasive treatment - not something I was looking forward to. Just in case I didn't like the look of the dentist's equipment, I had in my day rucksack, sealed sterilised needles and other sterilised medical equipment.



The result of the consultation was good news and bad news. The good news was I didn't need any invasive treatment. The bad news was this meant I would have to live with the pain for a few days more! The Dentist told me that I had an infection on my gums, and prescribed a treatment of antibiotics.



In the afternoon I walked the 2 km's to the coast where all the package tourists hand out. I thought I should see it. On my way back to Serenkunda I was in agony - the tooth ache was getting much worse. In the middle of the night the pain decreased and I actually got a few hours sleep.



This morning I felt better, until I had some breakfast - that set it off. I gargled antiseptic mouthwash to settle it down, and went to bed. I didn't wake up till 2pm. Basically I haven't done anything all day.

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