I have a few moments this morning to add to my blog because the Power went down and we had to cancel a few patients until the problem was fixed. Dentistry, like so many things in today’s world doesn’t happen without electricity. I remember the first time we lost power I thought, well, I can still remove a tooth, all I need is a forceps ( pliers ) and a little daylight through the window. Then it dawned on me that I can’t even suction out the spit (sorry about using spit, but saying “saliva” just doesn’t have the same impact). All the cosmetic training and zoom lights, and veneers are worthless without electricity.
You know, all of us are just a natural disaster away from living like cave men. I am thinking now about the earthquake victims in China. The people in Sichuan province have been left helpless. For all of the modern conveniences that have been developed the survivors of that earthquake are now struggling for shelter, water and food. I think a big difference between us and our ancestors who didn’t have all these conveniences, is that they had the skills to survive under these kind of circumstances, and we just have to wait around until someone air lifts supplies in to us.
I have been wondering how many dental injuries there must have been in China as a result of the earthquake. How will they ever treat all those needy people?