Editor's note: Jimmy Earll (not his real name) is a practicing dentist in Northern California and a stand-up comic who performs all over North America. His column, Laughing Gas, appears regularly on the DrBicuspid.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion.
His name was Bill. I had just placed a routine restoration on No. 11. I was walking him to the front desk to check out when I noticed he was smirking uncontrollably. All but laughing, actually.
"You OK, Bill?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm OK ... sorry," he replied -- but still smirking.
Did I have something dangling from my nose? I wondered. Was I wearing a pink mask or something? What was so darned funny?!?!?
After he left, I found my assistant, Brandy, and asked her why she thought Bill had been laughing.
She shrugged. "I have no idea! All we did was a simple filling."
I thought back over the procedure. Brandy was right -- it was simple enough. I used a spoon excavator for the decay, a Mylar strip, and a Tofflemire matrix band. Nothing unusual or out of the ordinary.
"Well," I asked Brandy, "did I say something funny then?"
To which she replied: "All you said was, 'Brandy, I need to spoon.' Then you said, 'Brandy, strip, please.' Then you asked me to place and position the Dolly Parton. Then you thanked me."
Huh, I thought. I guess Bill was just in a good mood.
The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.
Copyright © 2009 DrBicuspid.com
