Indeed, the dentist's chair evokes a scare within us (“The scary chair and my rotten teeth,” Open Page, July 11). This I was not aware 25 years ago when I was a budding lecturer in a Mumbai college. I remember how the head of my department used to take a lot of time, almost an hour, to eat just two batata wadas. One day, we asked him why he took so long to eat. His answer horrified us. He was advised by a dentist to have his teeth examined. Although his teeth were in perfect health, the dentist insisted on cleaning and filling a few gaps. Endless appointments later, he reached the batata wada situation. Recently, I underwent the root canal therapy. Though I was scared initially, as I observed my dentist working dexterously on my teeth while talking to me, I felt he was an artist.
Kala Chary,
Gurgaon
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The detailed narration, expressed with childlike apprehension of the gadgets used, and the bewilderment over the wrong extraction turning out to be a dream was quite interesting to read. Many dentists follow the simple procedure of extraction with limited gadgets in their clinics. Correctional methods and technical implantation are rarely undertaken. As a result, the population of toothless people is ever growing.
B. Gurumurthy,
Madurai
