‘How to keep
your teeth clean’, SHOUTS the poster and gives allegedly easy tips. Yes, I wait
in the corridor as my mother visits the Dentist. “Hello, how are you?” the
dentist asks her and closes the door behind her. (I expect her to say, “Not
very well, considering that I’m visiting you”. But what the hell, she’s the
patient and simply can’t say such things). Restlessness now kicks in and I look
around. One clutches the jaws in pain. There’s not much chatter, origin of the
pain to blame. I see a mother and her three sons sitting beside me. The
youngest of the lot is jumping around. The three hollow blocks in the place of
his front teeth is an indication that he must’ve jumped a step too much. The
elder son wears a constipated look and that gives a fair indication of who will
be examined, waiting for some good news. Perhaps, he wishes to say ‘cheese’
instead of a grin. The worried mother wishes likewise, probably. Three months,
I rewind by.
When people
around complained of sore tooth, I would thrust myself forward to give a
lecture on tooth hygiene. That day, I went in and the dentist said, “Don’t
worry, it’s just a normal tooth decay. But then, its deep. We’ll fill it up
temporarily and observe until 15 days go by.” (What do you mean ‘normal tooth
decay!’ you want to ask). The London Bridge has finally come crashing down. All
the years of boasting of having a clean dental sheet has buried itself,
silently. I ask the dentist if it’s really bad. “Let’s take an X-ray and see
how deep it is”, she says. When I get the X-ray report, silently hoping
Roentgen has some good news, he refuses to do so. “Right 4 and 5 are decayed,
paa”. Not one, but two teeth have met their fiery end. It’s in such downfall
that dentists find their windfall, I console myself.
Temporary
filling done, the doctor politely tells me not to eat for another 2 hours. She
then calls her mother and argues, “Maa, how do you expect me to eat IDLY with
only the PODI? I am starving. You better prepare that spicy Thakkazhi Chutney or
I’m eating Pizza!” before hanging the phone. Oh Dent, I accept that you are
hungry. There’s a bugger sitting here, hands on the jaws, unable to eat and
yes, irritated. “Irony, you shall rot in hell”, I say to myself. I wear a
desolate look, she understands and she apologizes. I see my dad waiting in the
reception, three wrinkles on his forehead. He must’ve been counting the number
of visits he had made with his wife and son in the past 3 months and would’ve
found his fingers insufficient to do the counting.
A week later,
I miss a family reunion citing work. My friend is surprised when he opens a Kitkat
strip sitting beside me and finds no hand trying to grab it. When I tell him
the reason, he guffaws and says, “Idhellam enna da! I’ve got two RootCanals
done. It is really that simple”. Another guy says that Root Canal is painful,
that I should use his strategy- ‘Keep Calm and Let the Dentist Play’. I regain
my composure. I nod to him and munch something while he asks me, “Dei, inga
irundha Kitkat engada!” (Where’s the Kitkat?)
End notes:
·
Two
weeks later, I visited the dentist who told “Left 4 and 5 also has decay. Tcha,
both sides of your mouth and the same teeth! What unity!” I agreed with her and cursed Unity and
Coincidence alike. Sarcasm also managed to get some thittu.
·
I
came home that night. My cousin had whatsapped ‘Keep Calm and Eat Thayir
Saadham’. I put the phone down, grabbed the plate of idlies and told my mom, “put
chutney”
·
The
dentist has become my family dentist now. Thankfully, I am not the protagonist
anymore; only accompanying my mother once in a while for dental check-ups.
·
A
month after going under the scalpel (not really, but still), while in a chat
with my uncle, I mention to him of my teeth and he says “Join the Club”. Bittersweet
feelings.
2 shouts!:
"It’s in such downfall that dentists find their windfall, I console yourself."
You do have a way to say things! :D Enjoyed reading it.
awesome
#jointheclub
i had 7 rct's done but you rock bro !!
_/\_
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