Dentistry Done Right

I tell you what. Korea is always flattering to a Westerner. Even though I had six cavities and teeth as yellow as a school bus, the dentist flattered me by saying that out of the ten or so foreigners that he's seen, my teeth were the best. This was after I told him how long it had been since I'd seen a dentist and probably after he smelled my breath. Even if the other foreigners were atrocious, it still made me feel better about my dental situation. He pushed it even further by saying that my gums were in pretty good shape generally, and if I saw a dentist once a year then I could still keep all my teeth for the rest of my life. See, that's what American dentists should do. Be positive and encouraging like Dr. Ju (In Amurrica, he would just be a Jew...is that racist? Is Jewish considered a race?) instead of using scare tactics, "Oh, you need to brush more and floss, etc. etc. If you don't, Truckosaurus will come to your house when you sleep and murder your wife." By him just saying that I have a chance of keeping all my teeth and that my gums are generally ok, I feel pumped about brushing and flossing to keep them.

So, I cut a deal with him (maybe. I realized I know nothing about dentistry) and had him fill three of the cavities today and the other three tentatively next Monday. Now, the cavities were the interesting part. It started after I laid down and they put one of those blue papetowels over my face (so I couldn't see the evil). Then I heard the words, "I'm sorry, but since they are small cavities we cannot do local anesthetic." Crap, why not? "Just raise your left hand if you feel any discomfort." You know whenever they say "discomfort" they mean "extreme nauseating pain." Next thing I know, I hear R2D2 in my skull as the vibration begins and that tasty smell that comes with it. I definitely felt the business end of that drill on my sensitive mouth areas a few times. I cannot tell a lie or embelish, though. When all was said and done, it actually wasn't that bad. I think the adrenaline carried me through it. I came up sweating with a pounding heart. Dr. Ju chuckled.

I chuckled because the best part of it was that the receptionist was giving me the eyes. You know the eyes I'm talking about. She followed me into the dentist work area place where I was having my stuff done and talked with me about how much she loved America and American food for, you know, way too long. Receptionists should be receiving, not talking to the Migook boys. Speaking of Migook, which is Korean for the U.S.A., Dr. Ju told me that Migook in Chinese characters meant "beautiful land" so it means that in Korean, too. That place was sooo flattering. I didn't mind going to the dentist. Isn't that the weirdest thing? Actually, the real best part was that I got what would be considered a cosmetic option (tooth colored resin composite) for filling my cavities that insurance probably wouldn't cover, or not cover much of, in the States. And it's got a warranty!

So speaking of all that health garbage, my co-teacher is out sick the whole week because she has the pink eye or something. That means that I get to teach with a substitute. Why is that good? Because I can teach more. I get more time with the chilluns. What a week, what a week. Here's a picture for you:

RAWR!