Tooth Extraction

I think dentists should work on their language.

It is quite simple.

Details.

Like, if they had to say to a patient that a tooth

needs to, let's say, come "out" of their mouth,

using the appropriate language would help the patient’s state of mind.

Believe me, there is no need for the use of the word "Extraction".

It's such a bad word; it carries bad karma.

Maybe because I’m an immigrant,

to me it sounds like - “Deportation”.

I'd feel like, at any time, I could be "Extracted" from here.

That word alone sounds like a threat.

Just like the Russia/Ukraine situation.

And you see what’s happening now…

Nothing that needs to be extracted seems to come out easily.

But if instead they said, 

to take out or remove a tooth,

You see the difference?

How smooth that sounds?

It sounds natural,

As if you were removing old furniture

from your house because it no longer serves you.

No one says,

I’m going to extract that old table

because it's time for me to have a new one.

It is impolite.

So, if your dentist says -

I'm going to remove one of your teeth -

it would sound like a natural thing to do.

Even though it is not!

There you are,

with your mouth wide open

and someone is poking at your teeth.

And they keep asking you questions.

Are you Ok?

How are you holding up?

So, you are from Brazil...?

Oh, I love Caipirinha…

And you try to respond as

politely and clearly as possible,

as you drool.

I had a "Tooth Removal" episode recently.

My Dentist was a student, which is fine,

I trusted her, but while I was there with my eyes closed,

I heard her professor asking her:

Are you ok, you need help?

And she just said, short and sharp, as an American would:

Nope. I'm good, thanks.

I’ve got this. I’ve got this.

I couldn't help but envy her confidence

and yet think:

Hey, Dude, can you please disregard

what she is saying and come look inside my mouth to  make sure she is taking just the one tooth?

You know, at one point I wasn’t really sure. It seemed there were 5 people around me.

Maybe even one inside my mouth.

I can't prove it; my eyes were closed.

I was trying okay, I was trying to be cool about it,

to just relax and let the dentists do their thing.

I was imagining myself on a beach,

wearing a green bathing suit.

I was fully blonde, I had a tan.

I was thin.

I was giving people room

to perform the so-called extraction smoothly...

I was even imagining that I was meditating

with my father on the beach because

I thought that could transcend reality.

Both realities.

The Tooth Extraction reality

and the reality of my father’s death.

I lost my father during the pandemic.

I don't recommend it, it is awful.

Some people could say that it's like having a tooth extracted,

but now that I've experienced both, I can say it's worse.

Because there is no such a thing

as Father Replacement.

But you can always get dental implant.

But everything was going “fine”

until she committed what I think was

a reckless act.

When she was done, and we were talking about

post procedure requirements

she said, with no compassion or empathy whatsoever

that I should avoid alcohol for a few days.

Because I would be “on meds”.

I thought that to be very disrespectful of her.

It was Friday, it was Winter,

and precisely because I would be “On meds”

I should have access to alcohol.

So, I did what anyone in my position would do.

I asked for a second opinion.

I called 2 friends from Brazil,

who are also dentists.

One said it was Ok to have one glass of wine.

The other said I could have one or two glasses.

So, to make thigs even, I had one and half glasses of wine.

The tooth was removed.

The wine was poured.

And now I carry this real sense

of void inside.

Inside my mouth to be more exact.

On the upper left side.

Maybe it's not really a void,

It's more like a food court…

But considering the price of an implant,

for now, handling the void is cheaper.