O boy, am I glad to be doing Outpatients again after 3 months of specialist posting. I missed the thrills, the frills, the excitement of seeing patients’ cards coming in stacks as I try to treat each of them with less than 30 minutes of waiting time. Today, as scheduled, I’m doing relief for Menglembu Dental Clinic. I departed from Main Clinic with the government van plastered with the wordings ‘Klinik Pergigian Ipoh’. Traveling in government vehicle makes everything official and mission-like.
‘Tapi Dr… Van ini dah condemned,’ my driver told me.
Huh? Among all other vehicles, I’m riding in a van that the administrative had declared condemned?
‘The other vehicles went with school team or sent to other places la, Dr,’ driver explained.
So I reached Menglembu Dental Clinic at 8.45 morning. That was 45 minutes after the gates of the clinic flung open and the first patients rugby-ed in. I walked pass the waiting lobby packed with patients. I felt many pair of eyes boring towards this young stylish Dr which they never seen before and came fashionably late. Well, not my fault that I’m stylish but neither was it that I was late.
Ooooo I felt so comfortable to kick into high gear immediately and run a series of extractions and consultations back to back, in high speed. Outpatients, I miss you!!! (I must be mad… self commented Jan 2010)
In half an hour, I cleared 10 patients as more were coming in. Soon, I cleared 30 cards. Until someone came, breaking my stride.
This old Chinese man, quite advance in age. Imagine Mahatma Gandhi. He got old spots on his face and he walked although slowly, unaided. A healthy and educated old man.
‘Dr, I have this root. It’s cutting my tongue and causing me pain,’ uncle described his problem.
‘Alright, uncle. All you have to do is to extract the root. It’s even loose!’ I said, conversationally.
‘No no, Dr. But there is no pain or swelling associated to it?’
‘Yeah, not now. But it might cause problem later, with infections and such. Furthermore, that is the source of irritation to your tongue, right? If you ask me, I would say extract it. It’s mobile, uncle.’
‘No, Dr, you don’t understand. I’m diabetic!’
‘Had your medications and breakfast this morning?’
‘Yes.’
‘What was your last blood glucose reading?’
‘Yes, I tell you. I only tested yesterday. It was so high 4.6!! I think’
4.6 ? What the heck! 4.6 is sooooo normal. His diabetic is so under control. Obviously, this uncle main concern is NOT diabetic. He just wanted to avoid extracting the root.
‘Dr, can you please grind down the sharp edges?’
I almost flipped. Treating 50 patients in one morning, this uncle had more than enough share of consultation already. Time for the next patient patient.
To which I replied ‘Uncle, I can try to grind down a little bit, at the risk of injuring your gums OK?’ Did anyone forget that the root of a tooth is situated at the gumline or beneath it?
‘Anyway, my suggestion is extraction. You understand hah?’
‘What for want to extract? There is no pain or swelling. I got diabetes!’ his language. Fine, what the hell.
Oh my my… what happened to prevention?
I took my handpiece and started to smoothened his roots, feeling a bit dejected at the same time. More because of a communication failure. His felt need is to get rid of the tongue irritation and keeping an asymptomatic root at the same time. My professional normative need for him is to get rid of a useless, mobile and potentially problematic root and by doing which will solve the tongue cut problem.
Anyway, I smoothened away. Suddenly, the old man raised his hand and pushed mine.
‘Dr. Can you please give me 30 seconds? I want to pray.’
What? Caught by surprise at the moment, I okay-ed. Of course I would not deny the request of a person to pray. My busy staffs looked at me and shot me the What-is-Going-On-There-are-a-lot-more-Patients look.
While uncle was praying, I was thinking. Am I too traumatic towards him or am I such a non-understanding dentist?
When he was done, he continued talking.
‘I am a Christian. I should’ve prayed before I come.’
I am a Christian too, but I kept quiet…. Then a point struck me, possibly I can use it to get my point across to uncle.
‘Uncle, you read the bible right?’ I started my reasoning, which will take a few more minutes of the precious Outpatient time.
‘You know sometimes patients are just like human beings in general. People read the Bible but never bother to follow what is in it. People read the Bible agreeing that it is the Word of God, but still continue to use their own stubborn methods to address their problems. What’s the point of reading the Bible then?’
‘Patients came seeking for treatment and advice from doctors. But if the stubborn patient refused to take the advices, why even bother to seek help from the doctors? They think they know better. And then when something bad really happen because patient never listen, haaaa, then they come again, asking for help. Uncle, you understand?’
His next reply would determine if I hit home run.
‘… Dr, I apologize for all these troubles, but I forgive you.’
Or if I had just wasted my breath.
Forgive me? Oh my gosh…. God, this is a total communication break down. I didn’t ask for forgiveness! I didn’t even think that I made the wrong professional judgment, you stubborn old man. Whatever. I smoothened the sharps edges and sent him away.
Although I wished we could communicate better, sigh… I got other patients needing my attention. I got work to do.
I still love Outpatient. I hope that argument with patients will not become a hobby. That would be terrible.
aL is here 