Dental Moment
The dentist’s office
An old brownstone train station
He renovated
Lying in the chair
I can see out the window
The trains going by
My implant is loose
He is a little annoyed
It is not his fault
He is quite annoyed
I am here too many times
I apologize
Long thin silver tools
On a sanitary tray
Instruments arrayed
He is well equipped
Wearing a mask and head lamp
Hands in latex gloves
Safety glasses protect
Against objects that may fly
Pieces of my crown
I open my mouth
Listening to directions
Accommodating
We are proceeding
Somewhat apprehensively
Without Novocain
He puts in a tube
I hear the sound of suction
When will he be done?
Through the discomfort
I accept all that occurs
Mindfully breathing
Detached I witness
Hammering, prying, drilling
Quite interesting
He exclaims, concerned
There's a broken Instrument
But he finds the piece
Suddenly success
Holds the crown in his hand
My tongue feels the hole
Busily he seeks
In his assortment of screws
I know one will fit
The implant screwed in
Tightened down with a torque wrench
Filled, filed and sculpted
I ask what went wrong
Simple, he says, no torque wrench
I nod, enlightened
We discuss dentists
The ethics of referral
Relative merits
With my mouth repaired
Focus on dentistry ends
I go back to life
