A dental visit and few thoughts

         After a visit to a well known dental clinic at my layout for Rashmi's aching tooth, I was left wondering whether I approached a right hospital for the treatment. I was feeling extremely uncomfortable, as I sat at the reception and waited for Rashmi to return. She came out and the suggestions were to perform a RCT and something else. I had a hunch feeling that this diagnosis might not be as accurate and I decided to call my friend(since 15 years) who heads the dental department in an educational institute. After the initial hellos, I explained him the issue and he agreed to refer Rashmi to one of his friends, who has setup a hospital.

         The new doc, agreed to see us after all of his patients had left. It was late in the evening. The first thing that struck me about the hospital was the wooden flooring. It was strikingly beautiful and well laid. It changes the look and feel of the hospital. The doctor was very cordial, as we introduced ourselves to the doc. The doc seemed very calm and patient as he listened to our problem and immediately was on action. After sometime, when he detailed his analysis, his analysis was different from what she was analyzed earlier. I thanked myself for my decision to walk out of the well-known-hospital. He went ahead and performed a temporary procedure that would fill in the teeth and circumvent further pain/decay. We took a subsequent appointment the following Sunday.

         What struck me about the doc was the way he explained things in detail, without getting impatient on our simple, probably must-have-known things about teeth. He made sure we understood things before he further explained. I thought he was made to be a doctor(whatever field he would have chosen, he would have succeeded, I thought).



         The next Sunday was quite a boring afternoon, as we drove to his hospital from our area - AECS Layout. He had informed us that the procedure would take about 3-4 hours and we were prepared for it. I was allowed to sit inside his chamber, where he was performing the operation.

         During the surgery, it was further discovered that there needs to be a RCT for a different teeth, that was not diagnosed by the well-known-hospital. We gave a impromptu nod for the surgery and he went ahead with it. The old bridge(what they call in medical term, when three successive teeth are covered with a cap) had developed pores, through which the decay had occurred.

         The doc's hands were steady as he performed the surgery and not even once I saw him in a state of unsure. They say - the steadiness of doctor's hand,and the maneuverability speaks a lot of about the doctor. In his case, both of them seem to perfect!          

         I continued my survey of his hospital, seeing what kind of medicines, sealing materials they had used. Most of them seem to be made out of India and were for exclusive sale within India. And - they were expensive. There seem to be a small stick like structure with a LED and a button. I failed to understand what it could have been for. I pressed the button several times, to see if there is anything else that glows, apart from the tiny LED. Nothing! I kept it back, branding that equipment as a futile stuff that was lying around in the hospital. The doc went ahead explaining things to us as he performed. Time and again, Rashmi was to sit up, cleanse her mouth, wipe it, and lie back, as various instruments, sucked saliva out, drilled holes, focussed powerful light onto the mouth, and burnt the tissues around the gum.

         Meanwhile, doc's wife walked in, asking him(doc), why she was summoned. Doc was puzzled. He said he had not. She said in she was summoned, and she assumed he needed help(she also is a dentist). As they debated, calmly on this matter, it suddenly struck me that it was this futile stick that had called her downstairs! Just when I had concluded the futility of the stick, his wife's arriving - disputed it unarguably! I explained it to them that I was the culprit, who had inadvertently called her to the hospital(Ah forgot to mention - their home is upstairs and apparently, the doc, calls her for help, when he needs to perform any complex surgery)

         Finally after 4 hours, the exhaustive procedures were complete and we left the hospital thanking the doc for his time(on a holiday) and patience to explain us the procedure.

         As I was driving home, I was thinking - The doc has set-up a hospital and is working for himself, while we are still working for others. While the doctors take time to settle down and start their practice, we and stay there - working for the employer. BTW - Rashmi and me have completed Engineering and we are employed) start with a bang(in terms of people's perceptions and early money we see. While it takes a lot of risk to set-up a company, finding an objective and a goal are difficult for engineers - unless we make sustained effort for the same. It is not easy - believe me. Many of my friends call it - mid life crisis and I tend to disagree with them, since the journey of understanding what we want/attain, is an interesting one. Mind does not provide you with instant answers, and takes its own time. You cannot force it. It needs to happen!

         

         There is a belief in one section of the medics that  - every cell in our body is capable of performing any other function. For e.g: the molecules that make liver, are capable of performing the role of a heart and vice verse. But they have chosen to be a liver. Similarly, I believe, we all are capable of performing or being any other role - be it a politician, an engineer, a doctor, an army man, a sports man, provided we decide to. Once we decide - I believe, we are capable to getting that environment, do whatever it takes to become one. The problem, unlike the molecules in our body is that - we let things happen to us. Did I decide to become an engineer? Nope. I got into Engineering, because I scored a higher distinction that got me a merit seat into Engineering seat. Hence I am. Now that after several years being an engineer, assuming that I know what I want to become or like to become/be, can I put focused effort to achieve the same? Probably  --    yes. Probably    --  no. That differentiates, the molecules in our body and we individuals, who have got a MIND.

         

         Through out my life, I have been avoiding dentists, out of fear(the fact they have to use hammer at times, to attend a tooth, scares me) I solved my problem. There are instruments, anesthesia, and other stuff that makes the dental procedure not so painful as I thought. So - the next appointment would be mine.