Addendum rereading your post it sounds to me like the first vet was on the right track, but there was a language barrier. When you put in ointment you need to do a thin strip along the bottom eyelid, just like for humans, then rub the closed eye gently, that may be the tooth brushing movement...
My Burmese female had the same issue with her eyes, reoccurring conjunctivitis. First she would start squinting an eye and the eye would tear, then the eye would become swollen. The inner eye lid would swell closed and look inflamed.
I would get alarmed when it looked like the whole affected...
