Hotpot, Cavities, and Crisis

So today is my brother’s birthday—and being the amazing, generous, selfless, totally underrated sister that I am, I took him to a hotpot place called Paradise Hotpot at Westgate. I’ve probably raved about it before, but just in case: everyone gets their own little pot of bubbling joy. No fighting over soup flavors here—we’re civilized.

So how was it, you ask? Aftertaste? Chef’s kiss.

The environment was cozy, clean, and honestly gave off major “I-want-to-sit-here-all-day” vibes. Well, except for that one tiny tornado someone brought in—this kid screamed like he was reenacting a horror movie soundtrack. For five full minutes. Unfiltered.

We chose the pork and chicken set (SGD 19.90, exclusive of GST and service charge—because nothing in life is ever truly SGD 19.90), which meant we were only allowed to order pork and chicken from their website. Other sets included beef and seafood, which were sadly not part of our destiny today.

Now, let’s talk about the communal food area, aka heaven's buffet line. Since the restaurant has a Hong Kong theme, there was an abundance of HK-style dishes. I may or may not have grabbed a whole plate of chicken feet like a greedy goblin. There were also curry fishballs, and this fried chicken or pork thing that had a spicy kick—and was so good, my only regret was not hoarding more of it like a snack dragon.

Fast forward to post-lunch: we headed home. I originally booked a dental appointment at Dentist A next Tuesday at Jurong Point. Since we were nearby, we tried to locate it but failed miserably. Whose fault? The world may never know. But plot twist—my brother casually dropped that this clinic has a Google rating of 2.7 stars. I repeat: two point seven. That’s barely above “would let my worst enemy try it.”

Naturally, I went into panic researcher mode and found Dentist B, blessed with a respectable 4.1 stars. Same time slot, next Tuesday. All good, right?

WRONG.

That afternoon, I spiraled into a black hole of YouTube videos about tooth decay, cavities, and scary dental procedures. You know, fun stuff. I've always noticed a small black dot on my front tooth and instantly decided, "Yup, it’s a cavity, I’m dying, let’s go." Since I was on MC today (thank you, convenient life timing), I rescheduled the appointment to 3:30 PM today.

At 3 PM sharp, I marched off to Jurong Point like a girl on a mission. Told them confidently, “Bill everything to my company, please. I still got SGD 250 to burn.” I’d done my research—fillings should cost less than SGD 100 per tooth, right?

Enter the dentist.

Good news: my front tooth does have a cavity.

Bad news: Surprise, there's another one!

And guess where? The same molar I had filled a thousand years ago in primary school, with that ugly black filling that made me look like I had Oreo crumbs permanently stuck on my tooth.

Even worse news: the dentist says my wisdom teeth are pushing the others around like they're in a mosh pit. She suggests removing them but needs an X-ray to confirm. But that would definitely push the bill over SGD 250. Cue internal sobbing.

So, being the budget-conscious 牛马 that I am (you know the grind), I just got the two fillings done. Total damage: SGD 261.60. After insurance, I only had to pay SGD 11.60. My teeth now look fabulous. That black dot? Gone. Confidence? Restored. Smile? Engaged.

As for the wisdom teeth—I'm saving those for my hometown dentist. Local prices, hometown screams—win-win.

Final thought:

Can someone please explain to me why dental and medical treatments are so ridiculously expensive in Singapore sia?! I’m not trying to sell my kidney to fix a molar, leh.