A Plug for Professionals

I see a lot of mouths every day. Some are in good condition, some are in not-so-good condition. I saw one the other day that was impressive. Not so much in a good way, but impressive...
I wish I had some pictures to post, but I don't. Plus, I don't have his permission to use any, so....
Anyway, the real issues he had were with previous dental work. Now when someone has beautiful dental work in their mouth, I normally will say something like, "Wow! That's some nice gold work there!" If they have "bad work" I don't say anything about the work--I don't know what the circumstances were surrounding whatever work was done, I assume the previous dentist did their best--but I simply state what I see that needs to be fixed. Well, in this particular case I was astonished at how badly some of his fillings had been done. They had very blatant mistakes that a first-year dental student could see and would know are very, very bad. Frankly, these kinds of mistakes lead to worse problems further down the line. As we were talking during his appointment, he told me that he used to go to Tijuana to get all of his dental work done because it was cheaper, but now the traveling is too expensive.
I need to tread carefully here--I know that other countries have good healthcare. I feel that the United States health care is of exceptional quality. I know that accessibility is an issue, but that's another post (or four).
In particular, dentistry south of the border is reputed to be, admittedly cheaper, but second (or fourth)-rate.
Which brings me to my point: If you're going to have something done, have it done by the right person!
If you're going to hire a plumber, hire a professional plumber! Not your neighbor who took a plumbing class in college! They may be able to fix your leak, but they might cause three more in the process.
If you're going to get a marriage counselor, go see a professional marriage counselor! Don't entrust your relationship and your psyche to your neighbor who went through a divorce and is willing to pass on what they learned from their experience to you for free. Pay the money and get the proper help! Besides, you never know--they may have ulterior motives...and it's likely that they'll cause more damage.
Don't go to an overweight personal trainer if you're looking to shed a few pounds. Reading "You, On a Diet" is not sufficient quailfication...
Likewise, if you're going to go to a dentist, go where you know they have strict regulations regarding what qualifies someone to perform dentistry! It's too easy to mess things up even for a professional, let alone for an amateur--and in a lot of cases if things aren't done right, they can end up leaving you in worse shape than you were in to begin with, like my latino friend with the fillings.
I know these are fairly extreme situations I bring up, but this has lots of application. Someone may seem qualified but might end up causing you more problems and grief in the process of trying to help you. I'm all about getting the right help from the right person.
I'm just sayin'...

My 2¢ on Prop 8

Some clarification to the situation in California is in order here.
In 2002, the electorate voted on this issue and the large majority of people voted on a traditional definition of marriage. In May, four judges decided that the people were wrong and took it upon themselves to change the definition of marriage for everyone in the state. The opposition to Prop 8 would have you believe that it is a civil rights issue--it absolutely is not. Homosexual couples already have all the same rights, privileges and benefits of traditional couples (and in some ways are better off--they qualify for more tax breaks, for example). So, they would have you believe that a vote to RETAIN the historic definition of marriage as understood in our constitution since the inception of our statehood would strip away a 4-month-old "right" the court created when it overturned the PEOPLE'S right to keep the traditional definition of marriage.
Justice Marvin Baxter wrote in his dissent to the court's decision, "The California Constitution says nothing about the rights of same-sex couples to marry. California statues that define marriage as a union between a man and a woman are explicit...The court simply does not have the right to erase, then recast, the age-old definition of marriage, as virtually all societies have understood it, in order to satisfy its own contemporary notions of equality and justice." Abraham Lincoln once said that "if the policy of the government upon vital questions affecting the whole people is to be irrevocably fixed by a decision of the Supreme Court, the people have ceased to be their own ruler." I thought the governing power of our country was ultimately in the hands of the people, yes?
It is also a religious rights issue. A person has every right to not be religious, as they choose. I have every right to be religious, as I choose and to define marriage as I choose. To have the state tell me how I am ALLOWED to define marriage, to have them tell me how I am allowed to TEACH MY CHILDREN what relationships are proper and right and moral, is not consistent with the laws and rights that are supposed to be inherent in our society and constitution. Yet this is exactly what will happen, and IS happening right now in Massachusetts.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815825713 (please take 6 min to watch this video)
As was stated by Margaret A. Bengs, "If voters decide to authorize same-sex marriage, they should do it based on a full understanding of the fundamental moral and civil issues involved, not on the falsehood that they are overturning a constitutional "right" that simply isn't there."

Muffins 'n' Modesty

Well, I've actually had several experiences since the last post that were blog-worthy, but I didn't take the time to post them and I can't remember them right now. However, I would like to take a moment and give a shout-out of thanks to people who wear appropriate clothing. Here in California, I frequently have female patients who come in "strutting their stuff". I very frequently cannot wait to get the patient's bib on them to cover up their chest.

When I first started at the office where I currently work, one of the first patients I saw was one that started scary, but has since turned into something funny--in a scary sort of way.

I'm guessing that everyone is familiar with the term, "muffin top". I've always thought this is one of the funniest terms I've ever heard. Well, this lady was sploojed into some booty-shorts that gave her not one, not two, but three--count them--three muffin tops. One above the shorts, and two below--one where each thigh was screaming for sweet relief from the booty-short legs. 

Not to disparage anyone who could potentially have a muffin top given the right (or wrong, as the case may be) clothing--I personally seem to have a larger and larger potential muffin top day by day. I'm merely pointing out that people should wear clothes that fit whatever body type they may have!

Well, that day my assistant and I had a small discussion about this lady, mostly wondering if she had seen herself before she left the house that day, and also wondering how her circulation was in her legs when she sat down. 

The next time she came in, she was sploojed into a purple spandex jumpsuit and she was drrrenched (trill the "r"s there) in perfume. It doesn't help that she has curly hair and a mushroomy haircut...

The last time I saw that she was on our schedule, my assistant and I had a bet going on what she would be wearing. We were both pleasantly surprised because, while she still had the perfume, she was at least wearing clothes that fit and didn't make her look like fruit. We both lost the bet...

The moral of the story: Don't wear clothes that don't fit and make you look like fruit.

Ignification?

So, I've had a request to post about the nasty cases I get at work. Never fear--there will be plenty of those forthcoming. However, I had an experience last Friday that was just too good to pass up.  A woman called in during the day with a toothache and I agreed to fit her in. She came in, got some radiographs taken and was sitting in the chair when I walked in to meet her.

"Hi there! My name is Dr. Nelson and I'll be working with you today."

"My name is Bo-NEE-tah." 

"Good to meet you, Bonita."

"Likewise, I'm glad to make your acquaintance, I'm sure."

"Oh oh," I thought.

I looked at her radiographs and began to explain to her what I saw. Really, there was no problem with saving the teeth--they would just need root canals (two of them).

As we began to discuss this, she interrupted me:

"Doc, I know you're going to talk to me about saving them, but I just want them taken out. Just pull 'em."

"I understand that you may not think that they can be saved, but really they can."

"Now, I am NOT ignorant. Don't you try to ignify me."

Huh? Ig..Ignify?

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I said, don't ignify me."

Hm.

"Bonita, I did not mean to imply that you are ignorant. I know that you aren't. I was merely pointing out that the teeth can be saved."

We finished our discussion, she received treatment and left. Now, using context clues, I gather that when she said, "ignify" she meant that she didn't want me to treat her like she was ignorant. My questions to all of you readers out there are these: Was my inference correct? What exactly IS ignification?  When does 'informing' cross that ever-so-fine line into the dark realms of ignification? I really need help here. I didn't even know that I could ignify someone, let alone how to do it. Admittedly, there have been times in my life when I wish I would have known about this particular verb--granted, it's probably better that I didn't, as I likely would have used it altogether too much.

The online Webster dictionary defines ignify: "To form into fire." Well, if that's what she thought I was doing, she was way off...

It's time...

Well, I have recently become quite a blog reader. I used to be a closet blog-stalker, but then graduated to leaving long-winded comments on other people's blogs. As I did more and more of this, I realized that I probably need my own. So, here it is. I've got some good ideas for a few posts, but I'd like some ideas. Anything anybody want to hear about from me?
This is where I expect to hear the chirping crickets.
Anyway, let me know!