Going to the dentist

is one of the least favourite occupations of most people I know. I can remember a professor of psychology, a man of intelligence, who had not been to a dentist for many years. He was terrified by the thought. There are other people I know who "put it off" or "only go if something needs to be done" or "only go if something hurts". 

I dislike going to the dentist myself. My dentist knows that. She is actually a very nice person. I like her. I just don't like what she does. I think I may actually have said this before.

I went to see her yesterday. It was time for the regular "check up". She gave me that smile which says, "It's nice to see you. I know you don't want to be here but I'll do the best I can to make it as painless as possible."  Thank you.

It was the first time I had been into the city since the last time I saw her. That was in February of this year. There was a longer gap than the usual six months because of Covid19. The dental service, attached to our health fund, is playing "catch up". I was one of the first whose regular appointments had been delayed by the need to fit in people with much more urgent needs.

Going into the city was strange. There were people on the train. It was after 9am and the commuters to work had already gone. I wore disposable gloves on the train - the only person to do so. I kept my distance from everyone else too. Not everyone was doing that. 

In the city itself it was much the same. There were some attempts being made to "socially distance" and I certainly stayed as far away as I could but other people didn't seem too bothered. At the building in which the dental and optical services are housed there was someone checking people as they went in. She approved my disposable gloves. I went up in the lift with nobody else in it. (Two people are allowed to enter under the guidelines.) I disposed of my gloves into the bin provided and, almost immediately, saw my dentist. 

On leaving I pulled on the other pair of disposable gloves and did the return journey. 

    "I wouldn't waste my time with those," someone told me of the gloves, "In fact you shouldn't be wearing them. They just help to spread the germs."

No, not correct. If they are not properly used they will spread the germs. In this case I was still being careful about what I touched and I was also using the disposable hand wipes with them. It was an added layer of protection. I disposed of them all into the household landfill bin when I got home.

I think it was all safe enough. I did the best I could. We might not have had any local transmitted Covid19 cases in this state for a while but I am still going to be careful. Is there something wrong with that?

I probably won't go into the city again for another six months - as long as I do not need to go to the dentist.