Personal Oral Hygiene

Helping people clean and keep their teeth since 1961! 

Dentist's Bedtime Story-2 continued

"This court will come to order, and proceed with the trial of Humanity versus Dentistry. Since this is the first of these trials, and therefore without precedent, I think it only fair to explain to the witness that he has been picked to represent the profession of dentistry since he has been adjudged an average counterpart thereof: Having terminated his training only ten years ago which is but a fleeting moment in the eons of time, and exposed to the accumulated knowledge of the ages of civilized man in this profession, he should be able to give us the information we need to determine if this profession stands true to its heritage as the first specialty of the healing arts which were taught and practiced by the gentle Man from Galilee. Or, has it strayed from the path set by Him, and is to be found wanting. You may proceed, Mr. Prosecutor."

One of the attorneys arose, and walking up to me spoke, "Dentist, your profession has a noble heritage. Would you explain the function of a dentist, just to clarify it in the mind of the court?"

I relaxed to a point, this didn’t seem to be a difficult question. "I maintain an office furnished with modem dental equipment to care for the dental needs of patients who come to me. These needs are the preservation of oral health, and this I do as best I know how, and they pay me for my services."

"Fine," said the prosecuting attorney. "Now would you tell us how you spend your time at the office on a typical day? For example, would you mind telling what you did today?"

"Well, lets see. My first patient was a six-year-old girl, Sally, who was in for a six month checkup. We cleaned her teeth, took Bite-wing X-rays, and told her mother we would call her if she needed any work done. My second patient was Mr. Johnson, and I took impressions to make him a couple of partials to replace the back teeth he had lost. My third patient was a sixteen-year-old boy, Jack, who always has a mouthful of decay. I put in three silver fillings for him. Mrs. Gaddy was next, and I took the final impressions for making her a set of dentures. She was followed by the banker’s wife. I prepared her teeth for a couple of inlays and took the impressions for them. My sixth patient, Mr. Smith, had pyorrhea and I spent the whole appointment trying to explain to him that this gum disease had taken his teeth, and he should either see a pyorrhea specialist, or we could take his teeth out and make him a set of dentures. The seventh patient was Mr.Brown. He had a little gumline filling to do, so I plugged a gold foil in it. My garage mechanic’s wife came next and I prepared a couple of teeth and plugged them with silver alloys."

"Now," asked the attorney, "would you explain why you did these various operations? For example, the little girl Sally that you took the X-rays of and told her mother you would call her, what will the X-rays tell you?

"The X-rays will tell me how many decayed areas there are in her teeth and we can then make appointments to fill them," I explained."

Then," he asked, "after you have filled them you will repeat the procedure by having her come back in six months and repair any damaged areas that you find?"

"That is correct," I answered, beginning by this time to feel at ease for surely this interrogation was reasonable.

"Now," said the Prosecutor," your second patient, Mr. Johnson. You said you were making him some partials to replace some back teeth that he had lost.

Would you please tell us how he lost them?"