An Evening at the Dentist's Clinic

April 10, 2011


I’m sure this has happened to everyone. There no point pretending that I’m the only person in the whole wide world this sort of incident has happened to.

There I was, innocently biting into my gulab jamun while watching Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa, on my laptop, when a shooting pain in my teeth forced me to drop the bowl of thick sugar syrup all over my bare legs. Nothing fell on my laptop thankfully, and I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the room and myself. Only later did I realize that my teeth needed to be checked by a dentist.

So, that evening, I walked over to a nearby clinic and got an appointment for a later time that same evening. I walked in at the appointed hour and sat on a plush couch, reading a copy of the latest Outlook magazine and getting rapidly bored.

I must have dozed off because the receptionist shook me vigorously and told me that the doctor was ready for me. In my groggy state, I yawned and mumbled, "Finally. Thank you," when she slapped me hard. I was stunned. I held my cheek where she slapped me while she said, "What did you say??"

Now, a normal human being would’ve asked this before slapping someone, but she was a rare creature I guess.

"I said ‘Finally, thank you’" I told her angrily, still clutching my face.

"Oh!" she said, eyes widened in shock and apology. "I thought you said some swear word. You mumbled so I couldn’t hear properly! I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!"

Leaving her in the subservient state, I walked into the dentist’s room. He was sitting in the center of the room on a stool, placed in front of a horrifying dentist’s chair, which had all the evil accoutrements one usually associates with the murderous, villainous doctors in horror movies – gleaming silver instruments that were sharp enough to rip someone’s brains out through their noses. I gulped and stood there.

He saw me clutching my face and said, "Hurts, does it?"

"What?" I said, confused, and realized that I was still holding my face. I quickly put my hand down and said, "No no, your receptionist slapped me just now."

He didn’t seem surprised. "Third one today," he said resignedly. "I have to fire her. Anyway, take a seat, please," he said pointing to the torture chair. I looked strangely at him and sat down. He said, "Okay, let me see…" and shined a flashlight into my mouth and peered around. I could see the bright overhead light and the dentist’s masked silhouette as he assessed my dental strength.

"There’s some plaque," he said. "I’ll get my associate to do something about it," and he walked out, leaving me in the chair, mouth open, with a torture device sticking out of it. I twirled my thumb and waited until a short, stocky woman came in and started poking around in my mouth with a metal device that hurt like hell.

Five minutes later, it was all over and she announced, "We’ve removed the plaque. That’ll be 1200 rupees."

So, I paid up and walked out and I couldn’t help but feel that I’d been cheated out of something. As soon as I stepped out, I saw the brilliance of the dentist’s business plan – his clinic was right next to a bakery! I could see breads and cakes and doughnuts calling out to me from within, and cursing my weak will, I went in and bought a fresh sugar doughnut and bit into it.

Just as I was about to wipe the sugar crumbs off my face, the short, stocky woman dentist walked into the same bakery, bought some sweets and gave me a knowing smile and walked out.

"Damn", I said to myself as I walked back home, enjoying my doughnut.

 

Robin Almeida - Archives:

by Robin Dyson Almeida
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Comment on this article

  • Roshan, Mangalore

    Wed, Apr 13 2011

    The receptionist slapping sounds too much exaggerated, can one imagine in a plush dentists office, the receptionist slapping a patient!!!! The nanrration seems to be too over stated.

    Further what is the content of the article? What does the writer try to convey to the reader? What is the significance or connection between the dentist’s clinic and bakery next to it? Bits and pieces look unconnected.

    I have read and enjoyed Robin’s other articles, this one doesn’t live up to the expectations. Look forward for more from him, of course better than the current. Roshan

  • Antony Herbert Crasta, Mangalore/Sydney,Australia

    Tue, Apr 12 2011

    Visiting the Dentist and getting the treatment is never a pleasant experience, especially it hurts more than the toothache itself when paying for the services, and the writer`s case was no exception. Unlike the General Medical Practisioners, who see umpteen number of patients a day, and therefore, the costs are distributed amongst those large numbers, resulting in moderate fees, the Dentists generally get to see a limited number of patients, and therefore, I suppose they have to charge them rather exhorbitant fees. Moreover, the investment in the dental instruments and machinery is large, and naturally, the dental treatment is going to be always expensive. By the way, no, I am not a Dentist, and don`t get the idea that I am defending their cause. Incidentally, the dental treatment is very cheap in India as compared to this part of the world, where mere extraction of a tooth could cost approximately Rs.3,000 and a fifteen minutes plaque cleaning job Rs.6,000!

  • Marie D'Souza,

    Mon, Apr 11 2011

    I like your smile and the writeup.Enjoy reading articles from you.

    God Bless
    Marie


Leave a Comment

Title: An Evening at the Dentist's Clinic



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.