Caghs' Challenge
In 500 words or less, write about a positive experience involving a dentist.
It may be true, it may be a fiction, but it MUST be in first-person.
Any format is acceptable.
I received one of those letters from the dentist last week, reminding me that I should show my teeth once again in his surgery. He found that eight months is long enough and probably was running out of money, or was he in a sadistic mood and decided that my mouth would be ideal for a clean up and if he is lucky, might even find a diseased root, or a nerve about to give up.
What to do? I naturally made an appointment with his words still ringing in my ears from the last time, that you actually save money by going regularly. I put my dental nerves together and found myself sitting in an empty waiting room. That is never good; it means it is your turn very soon.
“Good morning Mrs. Victim” the dentist said in a merry almost enthusiastic voice “please take a seat my nurse will attend to you.”
She did of course and covered me in a white sheet which seemed to resemble a shroud. I was given a paper bib and the chair was adjusted to the right level, sort of flat and morgue-like. The dentist arrived.
“Do you have any pain or problems?”
Did he expect an answer? Quite difficult under the circumstances, as the sucking device was already hanging from my lower lip and his cleaning instrument was poised for the attack.
After thirty minutes of radical scratching and scraping, he was finished. The usual glass of water was supplied to have a thorough mouth wash. From its colour, I did have the feeling that I had been transformed into a female vampire after his work.
“Everything is fine Mrs. Victim. We will see each other again in the surgery in eight months time. It seems that your teeth have improved to such an extent in the last two years that “The Dentist’s World”, an international magazine dedicated to our profession, would like to feature your mouth in one of the next issues.”
I was a little surprised “I beg your pardon?”
“The various x-rays of your teeth will be printed, along with an illustration of the finished work. Of course I will also be mentioned in the magazine.”
“You mean that thousands of dentists will be looking at my mouth? I don’t think I will be so keen on that. What do you mean by an illustration?”
“A photo will be taken, showing the result of the work.”
“Sorry, I answered, but I am not so enthusiastic” was my answer.
“I forgot to mention something, Mrs. Victim. You know this is so exciting for me to be featured in the magazine. I even have a chance to become dentist of the year.”
“And I will be patient of the year? No doctor, I don’t think so, but I interrupted, what did you forget?”
“Of course for all future visits to my surgery nothing will be charged. It is an honour to operate on such a perfect row of teeth.”
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