Four Dentist

I always hated dentist and that is not about to change for a long time especially after the run around I have just gone through.  I have just finish what a dentist phobic person might call, hell – 4 dentist, 3 countries, 2 crowns and 1 root canal.

It all started with a Gambian dentist who want to put a mercury filling in my mouth.  My first thought was, shit, didn’t we stop using those 50 years ago in the states.  Then came the thought, hold on, I used to have one of those but I had to get it removed because g-d blessed me with corrosive, cavity carving and over active salivary glands.  Not to be confused with a friend of mine who drools a lot but the kind that sends me to the dentist on a constant bases despite proper care.  So I told the dentist I need to consult the PC doctor but in my mind I was thinking ‘oh NO!’

I talked the PC doc to letting me get it fixed in the States on my upcoming visit.  He agreed and off I went to the good old United stated of America.  I showed up at the dentist ready to get a quick fix with a great American doctor of dental care. She was like ‘oh NO, sonny you need a crown and maybe a root canal. No actually you don’t need a root canal. Well I don’t know maybe…NO, you are good.’ But I was like ‘it was an American dentist, they know everything.’  That also meant I needed a different form from PC and getting this form was almost like the government had shut down to decide to let me have the crown, oh wait, it really did (luckily my form came first, so they got a little practice)!

Bam! Got the crown done easy because it’s America, right? Then I went on my merry way and had a great trip visiting friends and family.

I landed back in Gambia a little fatter, more in love with my girlfriend and ready to finish off my PC service with a renewed sense of excitement.  My tooth still hurt but I quickly brushed that off with the thought of long flights and cabin pressure. It continued to persist over the next two weeks, especially when I was on a bumpy dirt road or riding my bike. There is no shortage of bad roads and my bike is my main source of transportation.  I had no choice but to see another dentist.  The third dentist said that it was apparent that I needed a root canal and ‘the first dentist should have diagnosed the problem.’  I was pretty pissed at this point; it took not but one dentist, but three dentists to figure out the problem. One those dentists was even an American dentist.  I guess Americans don’t always get it right either.  To top it all off, PC protocol requires that we go to Senegal for all root canals.

Here I sit in Senegal after the 4, 3, 2 and 1 count because it takes one week to make that second crown I needed because the dentist had to cut the first one off.  This has all taken way too long but I am happy to be just about done with everything.  PC and Africa really teaches you what patients means.