I joined the Goa health services in 1982. I was transferred to Ponda in 1986 and I
have been in Ponda since then. Earlier in the government hospital and now in
Private practice. I have spent nearly forty years in practice at Ponda.
Young children whom I treated at the beginning of my practice are now grown up adults
and have their own children. They sometimes bring them for consultation. One of my
old patients recently brought her granddaughter and said that I now have the third
generation under my care ! I was overwhelmed by the faith and goodwill. Felt privileged
to have treated three generations and retained the goodwill ! This qualifies me to be
called an ‘old dentist’. Some people use a better term and say ‘an experienced one’ !
Geeta is one of my very old patients. She has experienced the entire gamut of
dentistry in my clinic. Cleaning, fillings, extractions, root canals, implant and whatnot.
Luckily for me, whatever has been done to her teeth, seems to be fine till now.
Having undergone such a lot of procedures she is naturally very conscious about
her dental health and consults me at the slightest hint of trouble.
She visited the clinic a few days back saying that she has some unpleasant sensation
in one of her teeth and that she suspects a cavity. She pointed to a place between
two of her upper teeth. I examined the teeth and only found a bit of roughness on the
surface of one of the teeth. I told her that there is no need to do anything immediately
and that we may take a look after six months. But she insisted that I do a ‘filling’ and
cover up the roughness.
When I started scraping the surface to place a sealant, I found that there really was a
cavity and that the tooth was actually decayed. I continued and completed the filling.
After finishing my work I told her that I was wrong in my diagnosis and that she was right.
I assured her that the cavity has been attended to and there is no cause for any concern.
She laughed and said “They say that ‘an old patient is better than a new doctor’ isn’t it ?
In my case an old patient is better than an old doctor too !”
