Keep all special thoughts and memories for lifetimes to come. Share these keepsakes with others to inspire hope and build from the past, which can bridge to the future.
Mattie Stepanek
My first day of clinical periodontics postings and the very first task of Teeth Scaling. A dental term for cleaning of teeth and that too the mechanical one. I am the first roll number in my posting and there I was waiting for my perplexed patient who doubted my ability. Suddenly ma’m called all the 3rd year undergrads and for the next few moments I stood there listening to her instructions. She allotted me my ‘first patient‘ and then I guided him to the dental chair. I tried to hide my terrified inner-self with a confident smile on my face so that I don’t terrorise the already perplexed fellow. 😛
Well, while arranging all my instruments, I tried to have a casual conversation with him but my luck had to test me more. The bitter twist was that he only knew Malayalam that turned my confident smile into a poker face look. But still I talked to him, unaware of how much he understood out of that.
He asked which year I was in and where I was from and it was quite easy for him to identify the place after I mentioned Dhoni.
Then I was engrossed in my war with the calculus and the plaque.The moment when that mineralized deposit of calculus flew in air,I exclaimed-“ohh Yess!“. I can’t explain that feeling when you actually remove it and it becomes the ‘yeah‘ moment for you.
No one can possibly know what is about to happen: it is happening, each time, for the first time, for the only time.
I remember in between my patient was talking something of Malaysia and Malaysian students and their work and I remember only these keywords as I was nodding in affirmation like a stupid person. But inside I was happy that atleast I am done with my work properly and he smiled and thanked me. I was grateful to him because he was my first patient. Every thing that happens for first time in life is always memorable and priceless.
I wanted to cherish this experience so I had to share it. For more take on dentistry, Stay tuned.
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