A Day at the Dentist

Going to the dentist is stressful for you,
But going to work can be stressful too!
If you think it is a roller coaster ride,
Wait till you hear the dentist's side!
Let me tell you about one day,
When I was treating Mr. D'Cay.
When I started the drill,
The patient felt the chill.
Gave additional anesthetic,
The numbing was fantastic.
Still the patient was shaking,
Was that my failure in the making?
Patient came with a fully functioning liver,
Then what was causing the shiver?
The appointment was only for an hour,
Then why was the mood so sour?
What started out to be dental,
Turned out to be mental.
Curing that was beyond my capacity,
That did not fall under my specialty.
I knew that was dental phobia,
But how could I address that paranoia?
I tried to talk the patient out of fear,
It was of no help, that was clear.
Some dental procedures are really tough,
Causing the situation to get rough.
That is why I'm all for referring out,
Specialists are there to bail me out!

Even then I performed duties sincerely,
I told everybody seriously:
"Oral health is important,
You cannot be so ignorant."
I cannot stress it to you enough,
Maintaining your mouth can get tough.
There is only so much we can do,
If you show up every year or two.
When you don't seek regular care,
Your teeth have a nightmare!
They cannot come to terms,
With the invasion by the germs.
The extensive destruction,
Gets evident after extraction.
Dentists absolutely do not play,
We do not let rotten teeth to stay.
When you have severe periodontal disease,
Teeth may fall out when you sneeze.
When the teeth are so loose,
They can stick out when you snooze.
That happens due to shifting,
What we call "Dental Drifting."
When the foundation is gone,
Teeth say they are done!
They leave a farewell note,
No matter how long you want them to float.
If you don't have teeth to munch on,
You will walk around with an add-on.

Now that some points are clear,
All of you, please lend me your ear.
I am telling you with great emphasis,
Such problems come with Diabetes.
Medical and dental problems are related,
That fact has already been authenticated.
You love to go to your PCP,
But get scared when you see me?
It is you who needs to be proactive,
Your priorities cannot be that selective.
This problem is conceptual,
And it cannot be perpetual.
If you had a cavity to begin with,
Now it won't be smaller in width.
No matter how hard you pray,
You cannot wish the cavity away!
Don't be the subject of ridicule,
And don't try to dictate the schedule.
It was you who didn't come even for an x-ray,
Now you want everything done yesterday?
Together, let us make treaty,
So that none of us feel guilty.
Let us try to work as a team,
To get the smile of your dream.

Note:

PCP (Primary Care Physician)

This is the first part of the Mega poem that I wrote in 02/2008. It was so long that the readers got bored. Therefore, I decided to divide it into 3 parts.