So it’s officially mid-service (well, this post is pretty late in being published. We're actually on month 17 over here with 9 more to go and counting). We’ve been here over a year, which means it’s time for a checkup! We all had to go to a dentist to make sure our teeth were still in our heads and to get a cleaning.
I usually love to go to the dentist because I like how clean my teeth feel sans plaque. But this particular trip was filled with anxiety. All week I’d been hearing from volunteers coming from their appointment that they had 9 cavities, 10 cavities, 13 cavities. Ridiculous amounts of cavities! I am proud to say I’ve only had one cavity in my whole life, baby teeth included, and I was not psyched to have my record smashed by an oral hygienist in Africa looking to bill the US Peace Corps for unnecessary fillings (this had become the theory among the volunteers).
The dentist office looked just like any dentist office I’d ever been in – florescent lighting, off-white upholstery, instruments of oral torture, floss. I sat in the fancy leather dentist chair sweating and giggling nervously as the assistant clipped the bib around my neck. The nice talkative Indian dentist came in to tell me about his most recent safari. I couldn’t listen to a word he said, I was much too preoccupied praying to the god of teeth for a brief checkup and only a handful of cavities. The dentist took a look at my teeth with one of those cavity detector gadgets, still talking about how he saw a lion take down a zebra. He looked up and finished his story with a “…it was very gruesome. Do you want to see the pictures? Now you may follow my assistant into the next room for your cleaning.” Wait, what? That’s it? But what about my mouth full of cavities? Aren’t my teeth rotting out of my skull? “No, Ms. Neilson, zero cavities!” Hooray!! Unfortunately, none of the volunteers believe me. Now that I think about it…maybe he forgot to turn on his detector gadget while he was so busy telling me about his witnessing of the circle of life.
I usually love to go to the dentist because I like how clean my teeth feel sans plaque. But this particular trip was filled with anxiety. All week I’d been hearing from volunteers coming from their appointment that they had 9 cavities, 10 cavities, 13 cavities. Ridiculous amounts of cavities! I am proud to say I’ve only had one cavity in my whole life, baby teeth included, and I was not psyched to have my record smashed by an oral hygienist in Africa looking to bill the US Peace Corps for unnecessary fillings (this had become the theory among the volunteers).
The dentist office looked just like any dentist office I’d ever been in – florescent lighting, off-white upholstery, instruments of oral torture, floss. I sat in the fancy leather dentist chair sweating and giggling nervously as the assistant clipped the bib around my neck. The nice talkative Indian dentist came in to tell me about his most recent safari. I couldn’t listen to a word he said, I was much too preoccupied praying to the god of teeth for a brief checkup and only a handful of cavities. The dentist took a look at my teeth with one of those cavity detector gadgets, still talking about how he saw a lion take down a zebra. He looked up and finished his story with a “…it was very gruesome. Do you want to see the pictures? Now you may follow my assistant into the next room for your cleaning.” Wait, what? That’s it? But what about my mouth full of cavities? Aren’t my teeth rotting out of my skull? “No, Ms. Neilson, zero cavities!” Hooray!! Unfortunately, none of the volunteers believe me. Now that I think about it…maybe he forgot to turn on his detector gadget while he was so busy telling me about his witnessing of the circle of life.
A dentist should always have a friendly approach. It's one of the strategies to relieve a patient's tension, you know. :) Stacey, you should have gotten the pictures so readers like me could give insights about your teeth. Anyway, I'm glad you have zero cavities. Brushing teeth alone won't save you from cavities; you also have to floss, then rinse your mouth with a cavity- and gingivitis-fighting mouthwash, and, as much as possible, avoid sticky candies (like gummy bears). Last but not the least, clean the back of your teeth; make sure that there is no food stuck behind your teeth.
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