Going by the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rabbit gave way to the Year of the Dragon in late January. (I missed the festivities in Vancouver’s Chinatown this time). Going by my personal calendar, it was the Year of the Dentist that just ended!
Two continents and six dentists in less than six months – you could say things have been a little unquiet on the dental front. Good thing then, that I’m quite comfortable around dentists and their clinics, having been acquainted with both from a fairly early age.
Among the more memorable ones was the tiny place run by an elderly dentist in London. It wasn’t terribly modern, even by the standards of the mid 1970’s. By way of distraction, the dentist provided a guided tour of London, using the aerial view photograph of the city that was affixed to the ceiling as a map. Things got a lot more exciting when you factored in the nitrous oxide that was used as an anesthetic! Fillings in place, he would send us our merry ways with a handful of very English boiled sweets and a reminder to brush regularly.
