One of the great streaks in dental hygiene was broken today. After 31 years, I got my first fillings. I don't think Dr. Lev grasped the enormity of this. See, when I was a kid my then-dentist, Dr. Audino, used to finish a typical checkup by saying, "Danny [he's the only person who calls me that], you're perfect again. No cavities. You and your brother both. It's amazing. I tell everybody that you guys are my best patients." That's right, the best.
Well, all that's over now.
I wish I could at least wear as a badge of honor the fact that I got these two fillings with no Novocaine, but Dr. Lev said it wasn't a big deal.
--"When I was a boy, nobody got the injections."
--"Where was that?"
--"In Russia. It didn't matter how much you screamed."
Maybe Dr. Lev just has a different bedside manner. While Audino relied on effusive praise and a sense of near-awe, Dr. Lev builds a guy up by dismissing heroism as just everyday strength. No Novocaine? No problem. (Example #2: you don't usually hear a dentist tell you, "Don't mind my brute force.")
And when it was over:
--"That wasn't so bad."
--"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
5 comments:
Sad! It's the end of an era. I can sympathize. I got my first cavity at 30 and it was a sad day.
Just before we left on our trip I had a cavity done by...Dr. Audino, NOT my first one, but at 63 ???
No Novocaine. That is insane! Why would you opt out of Novocaine?
Your grandfather has never used Novocaine, either. He thinks it is worse than the drill.
I'll tell him: he'll be so proud of you!
Sorry about the fillings, though.
Ara: Because I needed one filling on each side, I'd have to make two trips if I opted for the Novocaine (he can't shoot up both sides of my mouth at once). And he said they weren't that big, so...
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