*extraction 2001-05-04 2:12 a.m.*

Extraction

Her teeth were sugar-coated. I think that a lot of my adult patients worry that I

can tell things like that, but kids don�t think about it. But I knew. Her mouth was

cavity-central. It was actually rather exciting. Not in a sexual way, of course. I don�t get

sexually excited by little girl�s mouths. But it does give me a thrill to see all these battles

to fight.

Heather�s mother is a funny woman. I went out and told her that her daughter had

a cavity I needed to fill and asked about the possibility of making an appointment. She

said that there was absolutely no time but right then, within the hour. There was no more

time until Heather was due for her next appointment in six months.

�I care about her dental hygiene. That�s why I have her 6 month appointments set

up for the next twelve and a half years. So, she shouldn�t have cavities. I have not put

that into my schedule. I have you pencilled in for another fifty-eight minutes. Surely you

can do it in that time.�

I didn�t feel like Heather�s mother was a person to argue with, so I went back to

where I had left her daughter.

Except her daughter wasn�t there.

But I heard a faint scratching noise from under the sink.

�Heather?� I asked.

The scratching noise grew more frantic.

�Heather, are you under there?�

�No,� peeped the sink.

�Heather, why are you hiding under the sink?�

�I�m not!�

�I think you are. You should really get out now. I need to work on your teeth.�

�No! It will hurt! And besides, I�m not here!�

I didn�t really have time for this. I tried to open the door and get her out.

She had managed to lock the door.

�Heather?�

�I�m not here.� There was a pause. �What?�

�Where are my keys?�

�In here.�

Well, that was fantastic. Just fantastic. This day was getting better and better by

the minute.

I caught a glint of silver by the chair. It was my dental tools.

I figured that the drill was a bit extravagant for a first try, so I decided to start

small. With the little tool that is used to pick things out of people�s teeth. I think my

patients think that there�s a technical name for it. There isn�t.

I put it into the keyhole, and worked it around like I was trying to get a big piece

of chicken out from a person�s tooth. It broke in half. Inside the keyhole. So much for

that.

The next tool I tried was the mirror. I love the mirror. It�s why I became a dentist

in the first place. It thrills me to no end to be able to peer around every bit of a person�s

tooth. When I was growing up I�d use the mirror on myself. I didn�t have one of those

mining hats to see inside my mouth. And with a bathroom mirror there�s an annoying

glare, if you do use a mining hat. So, I never got a really good view of teeth with the

mirror until I was going through dental college. Actually, the first time I saw inside

someone�s mouth with the mirror, I did get sexually excited.

I love the mirror even more. Because it�s what got Heather out. I pried it in

between the door and the frame and just pried it open. It was easier than you�d ever think.

Except she�d died. That�s unfortunate, I think.

But I guess that�s just one of the hazards of being a dentist.

*listening to: *
<<< | >>>

*<<<<<* *<<* *<* | *>* *>>* *>>>>>*
*random* *list*