I like to see the results of my endeavors. I like to clean things that are really dirty. I like to iron a large pile of clothing and see it hanging in the closet, neat and pressed. I like to rake thick fallen leaves and see the lawn underneath. I simply enjoy seeing the fruits of my labors. One of my favorite procedures to do at work is a good dental prophy. The more disgusting the teeth are at the beginning, the better, because I can be fairly sure that by the time I finish the procedure, the mouth will be a different place. It is extremely gratifying to see the yellow plaque-coated teeth become white and smooth... it is instant gratification, almost.
In case you are curious, the procedure is done under general anesthesia, with the patient intubated. I get to use big forceps to crack the plaque and calculus off the teeth. Then they are ultrasonically and hand scaled... lots of scraping. There is the occasional pulling of teeth, which I do not enjoy, but luckily one co-worker loves it, so I can defer if needed. Finally, I polish. I use the same cotton-candy flavored pumice on a little rubber cup that they use at the dentist. I just love that freshly polished feeling, and I hope all the creatures appreciate it, too. But it is one of the few procedures we do daily where there is truly an almost immediate change. I LOVE that!
Here are some before and after photos of Bea the Basset's cute little teethies. Hers wasn't a particularly extreme case, but I think you get the idea. Don't get too grossed out. This is nothing!
Bea's teeth BEFORE
Bea's teeth AFTER
1 comment:
Wow, to actually have a blog created to me is truly humiliating, especially when it comes from the queen herself. Miss ya. Should be coming up to good 'ole Utah for Christmas next weekend. Must play!
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