JULY 30, 2019 – I’m a non-conformist, as are other members of the family. Example: I hate going to the dentist.
I’m kidding.
Seriously, I’d dreaded yesterday’s appointment, though it was a cleaning session with Michelle. No problem there. She’s a five-star pro. What I’d feared was what she’d do with me after I mentioned episodic pain around two lower molars. She’d inspect, maybe take an x-ray, then hand me over to Dr. Boger. My imagination was on the loose—again, in conformity with other non-conformists of the family. Worse case: root canal and missing a half day of work. Worst case: extraction of several teeth, a set of dentures, and a liquid diet for a month, all at a cost equal to that of a brand new . . . Volvo.
In my relative youth, I underwent several dental procedures requiring “gas”—nitrous oxide to keep my nerve endings under control. The set-up involved a nasal breathing apparatus that reminded me of a fighter pilot’s oxygen mask. And so, to keep my mind off each dental procedure, I pretended to be a fighter pilot. Each appointment with gas was a sortie. I can’t remember how many sorties I flew, but I managed to survive them all.
In my relative older age, I’m no longer a fighter pilot flying sorties. I’m a vintage, high-mileage Volvo in the mechanic’s garage. The paint’s faded, the engine rattles when it’s cold, and the driver’s side, hand-cranked window sticks irretrievably if it’s lowered more than halfway.
Yesterday I arrived at the clinic on time and drove myself onto the hoist—the dental chair. Michelle took over.
“Any changes in your health since your last visit?” She asked.
I opened the hood (my mouth) and described my concern.
She looked at the engine, poked around with her tools, took an x-ray and provided a preliminary diagnosis. It didn’t involve extraction, dentures or a liquid diet. But Dr. Boger would have the final say.
Dr. Boger is my wife’s nephew. A graduate of Carleton College and the U of MN dental school, he is an excellent dentist, a gentleman and a scholar and . . . a superb athlete, great husband and father, and civic minded all around good guy. He starts off by giving me a riveting oral book report on Jared Diamond’s latest book, Upheaval. Another thing I really like about Dr. Boger is his insatiable intellectual curiosity.
He examined the x-ray and what was under the hood of this old Volvo. He presented a plan. It was simple, and though it involved two injections of novocaine, it was nothing close to the “worse” case, let alone “worst” case of my imagination.
Another superb dental mechanic, Katie, stepped in for the assist, dispensing parts and tools. The procedure went according to plan. The hoist was lowered, the hood closed. I paid the bill—parts and labor being less than a new set of tires for a very used Volvo.
With renewed zip and zest, the Volvo hit the road.
To Boger Dental, a great big, “TACK SÅ MYCKET! (Volvo-speak for “Thanks so much!”)
© 2019 Eric Nilsson
