Happiness is ..............

One of my cases yesterday was a small girl of six years. I had done a bit of minor work on her teeth two weeks back and had asked her mother to bring the child for a checkup. They speak a variety of hindi and do not know any other language. I had tried my best to explain the treatment to the mother in a language which I thought was hindi, and hoped that it was understood. It was not. The mother thought that I would be continuing the treatment and had tried to boost up the child’s morale and prepare her for treatment. The child was very apprehensive nevertheless, walked in dejectedly and sat in the chair with her eyes shut, resigned to her fate.

I switched the light on and the child hesitatingly opened her mouth grippig the handle tight. I just looked into the mouth, found whatever I had done previously was in order (by god’s grace) and told the child that she can go. The mother was surprised.

“Doctor, are you not going to do anything”?
“No, I called you only for a checkup today”

There was a happy shout from the chair.
“Hurrah! No treatment today ! I told mummy so. But she wouldn’t listen. No filling! No filling!” and the child ran out dancing all the way.

Colgate had run a Dental health campaign few years back and had coined a slogan for it. “Happiness is healthy teeth”.

“Happiness” as I witness, is “postponed treatment.”