Is it the tooth, or the gum?

I've had an achy tooth ever since Singapore F1. Well, not entirely sure if it's the tooth or my gum, most likely some combination of both. But aches usually means bacteria or something structurally off. Not sure there's much worse than having a sore tooth. I feel like I'm a miserable person, with the constant dull ache in the right upper hand side of my mouth. Was there an Aesop's fables about a sore tooth?

Why is it so hard to get a dentist appointment in Hong Kong? I wonder if it's because, most dentist operate as a single dentist in a clinic, so there's no load balancing? I'm not sure. In any case, the initial x-ray proved to be inconclusive. "It could be a cracked tooth, but I don't see a crack". Ah, the classic hypothesis testing. The dentist, thankfully went for the more conservative approach and recommended a deep clean, periodontal treatment (remember when I had that over Covid, also some trauma around that procedure). Gum specialist performed a deep clean and another x-ray, this time there was a dark outline around the root of the tooth. Most likely need to have Root Canal Treatment (RCT). That is, open up the tooth, gut out the pulp and nerves and refill it with some goop. Ok, not goop, something more sustainable I hope. After the RCT, the gum specialist grafts some of my gum, there's literally a hole in my gum now. What in the world is happening?

The pressing question then becomes, how did it become infected? I think back to Singapore, I think back to lifestyle. I have many hypotheses, not too sure which one to go with. Is my dental hygiene incorrect? Has it to do with mouth breathing? Is it from all those running gels feeding the bacteria in my mouth? Is it from those ridiculous hard baguettes I've been eating? These and many other thoughts run through my head.

The idea of a RCT doesn't sit well with me, I think it's more a reflection on mortality and the idea of replacing something that should have theoretically served me until my grave. But alas, the perils of being over the age of 40 and the stark realisation that my body is slowly breaking down. One tooth, one bone, one organ at a time. 

This is my second RCT. I had one a while ago, when I was a teenager, which was a result of grinding my teeth, probably a side effect of stress? What was I stressed about as a teenager? I wonder if this is related? What am I stressed out about as an adult?