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Word of Mouth Teeth Chatter Dentistry is not always ‘beer and skittles’ Recently a new patient attended for a series of appointments during which time, I found her to be charming, very engaging and most discerning. On the Thursday I replaced a large old amalgam filling, which was very inaccessible at the back of her mouth… it was "gianormous". Exhausted by the experience, we both smiled lop-sided at each other, she numb from the anaesthetic and I from leaning at 5 degrees to portside for 65 minutes. Off she went, happily awaiting her next meal. On the Friday the phone rang angrily. " That Dr. O’Brien has left a broken dental instrument in my mouth, My friend, a dental mechanic said it is really disgusting and my other friend, a policeman said it could have caused me grave (sic) problems." "Can you come in with the broken instrument so that Dr. O’Brien can investigate the problem further?" "Oh, no! I cannot come in for another couple of weeks." So, using my mind’s VIDEO REPLAY a full color screen display with frequent fade-out, I spent a distracted 2 weeks recalling the appointment, its difficulties and its eventual success. Poor consolation given that I was in Exmouth looking into fish mouths trying not to see "broken instruments". Eventually my lovely lady returned, somewhat thin lipped as she slammed her folded tissue into my hand like a baseball pitcher hits the ball into his glove, milliseconds before letting fly at his opponent. I carefully unwrapped the paper coffin, exposing the alleged broken instrument. Ashen and aghast, I cautiously enquired as to the activity she was indulging in at the moment of discovery. " Oh, I was just eating an apple" she innocently blurted just like Eve must have said back in the Garden. "Well, this metal object is not a dental item or instrument. Might I suggest that some youth shot your apple whilst it was hanging in the orchard?" The lead buckshot was taken back to her policeman friend to assist in his enquiries, yet he strangely had not recognised an exhibit even Dr. Watson would have spotted immediately. That night I dreamt of the policeman giving evidence before the Judge and Jury: "Yes, My Lord, my examination of the victim shows clearly that he was shot with a 45 calibre dental instrument. |
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