The Weather in Our Neck of the Woods

Friday, February 18, 2011

A Trip to the Dentist

Lynn has arrived safely for a visit with his mother, the family, and the church in Arkansas. I am left here with Yari holding down the fort for the month. I am glad that he can go, and glad that we do not need to leave the house in other hands again. I also miss the old man!
Yesterday I went to the dentist. I have a kind-of regular dentist here. His name is Ben Hur. Yep, really! He speaks a little English, and does a good job, but in the past he has gotten a bit more expensive each time I went, or sent a child to him. He has always been good, if the child appeared to be indigenous, to lower his price, but the prices for others I brought in seemed to get ‘Americanized’ and would run about 50% more than the indigenous. And about 30% more than he charged others, most of the time. So I haven’t seen him much recently. I should note that this dentist is in private practice, and most others are less expensive ($2-$5), but you must wait hours, and as I mentioned, no anesthetic. I am a wimp when it comes to dentists, so…

I broke a tooth, and had to get it fixed. It was cutting my tongue, so I went to Ben Hur. He gave me an appointment for yesterday afternoon, and so it was.. that I got the ‘Ben Hur show’! As soon as he had seen the problem, he said ‘I can fix it!”, and promptly turned to his computer and started the music. Opera – French opera began to play, pretty loudly. I thought, okay, I like a little opera - that might relax me. No happy gas here, so music would probably be as close as I could come to help relaxing in the dentist’s chair.
As he prepared the injection to take away the pain (yes, that is why I come back to him – he gives pain killers and most others here do not!!!!) he began belting out the tenor’s solo – I mean BELTING out! I jumped in the chair, but he had his back to me and did not see. He seemed to have the filling process timed to exactly 6 songs, and he knew the words to all six, and actually stayed with Pavarotti, but an octave lower. He was really quite good, but still, when I am laid out with my mouth stuck open and a tube sucking the drool from one side… and you know how close the dentist’s face is when he works… well, let’s just say when he came to a …profound part (i.e. loud part) I was about blasted out of the chair, and somewhat out of sorts!
And I must add, he sang with plenty of emotion and body movement. It was an experience I will not soon forget! I am not sure how much I paid for the filling, and how much for the show, but I felt I got a bargain at $20.00!
When the last song ended, he turned and gave me a rinse, and said “Ya!” which means finished. The room was silent, he made a receipt, noted on my chart what he had done, and said thanks. No mention, ever, of the music, the tooth, nothing, the experience had ended. I went home with a good filling and a song in my heart! I can’t be sure, but I think he did too! Ah the life!
Okay, because I know when Lynn reads this he will want to mention it, Ben Hur is also quite nice to look at. Yea, but that has nothing to do with why I go to him. Well, not much! It was really his English that hooked me to begin with.

6 comments:

Heather R Nelson said...

Funny!!! Dad was really worried about you after we talked to you...now we know you were just dreamy over the dentist. ;)

NitWit1 said...

I need to mention this to Kirby Davenport my next visit.

I get no such entertainment, although he is a pretty good comic in his own way.

He greets me: My favorite patient. My instant reply: This is my most unfavorite place to be. {It is our ritual, and I've gone to him every since he opened his office here.)

When we lived in Morocco, we learned and paid "Americanized" prices instantly. I had a couple of natives bargain for me when it really was something expensive.

I'll miss seeing Lynn is he is at church today as I have severe bronchitis. Then he may be in Yellville. I'll have Shelly contact him sometime while he is here, if we still have phone #

PEM Cell Hydrogen said...

Kryna had an experience with a dentist while in Scotland. She was not so lucky as you and no pain meds were involved. When she came home for a visit, she took back a box of Scottish shortbread cookies and something else and brought them to our dentist and thanked him for all the years he had taken good care of her. Dr. Milburn got a big kick out of it.

Joy said...

No, Heather, it was just the pain of the dental work....will he buy that??? :)

Joy said...

I can absolutely understand Kryna's gratitude! Unfortunately we take for granted far too many things we have in the U.S. They just seem normal to us, and expected. We are blessed, but cursed, if you know what I mean. Spoiled to the point we do not appreciate as we should. Love you guys!

Kirvyn said...

I enjoyed reading this post Joy! I have to tell you that Ben-Hur Sinclair is my mom's dentist as well! :) Hope you are doing!