This hasn’t been a good week for me. I was flattened by a cold this weekend, and now I’ve been diagnosed with incipient periodontal gum disease, and just got back from a long, long session with the dental hygienist. I was trapped in a chair for two hours for a painfully thorough cleaning: scraping, plating, grinding, needley poking, an evil machine that produced a high-pitched screaming noise and sharp agony in my gums, more whirring gadgets, strange substances, and the constant taste of blood as the oozing filled my mouth. It was the longest stretch of sustained sadism I’ve experienced in, oh, weeks. I got up from the chair at last, shaking, and wobbled out the door. I’ve been warned that I’m going to feel even worse later today.
Don’t worry, though, I didn’t reveal the secret location of the diamonds, nor did I give away the launch codes.
I’ve got another appointment for Thursday. I might break then.
Sounds like a real marathon, man.
:-S
Good to see you can still laugh about it.
My turn comes Thursday. My teeth always ache for a day or so afterwards.
Wh… why are you telling us this? I didn’t need my morning “livened up” by vivid flashbacks to the orthosadism of my youth.
*shudder*
The scraping! Oh sweet merciful science, the scraping! Aaaahhhh!
That high-pitched screaming was not the machine. You must have stepped outside your body into the astral plain. “go somewhere safe, somewhere safe.”
You should know that Don McLeroy is not an advocate of sedation dentistry.
Be sure to thank the DesignerTM for that torture session–even more so, for the constant torture that you’d endure without truly intelligent agents coming with noisome, yet effective, means of countering the Designer’s Grand Plan for you to decline into pain and toothlessness.
Funny how quick IDiots are to invoke our intelligence to counter either the malevolent plans of their god, or his gross incompetence.
Glen D
http//tinyurl.com/mxaa3p
Is Steve Martin your dentist?
Oh, man. I’m right there with you. Back at the beginning of January I had a marathon 4 hour session for the very same “deep cleaning”. On the “it all balances out” side – I gave my dental hygienist excruciating spasms in her back and hands as she worked without a break to accommodate such a lengthy appointment into my work schedule.
How does one even say “CPE 1794 TKS” when one’s mouth is all swollen and numb?
Jebus, PZ. Sounds pretty terrible.
OK, the Marathon Man and Little Shop of Horror memes have been covered already, so I’m devoid of clever humour to lighten the mood.
Just know that your suffering is *totally* part of Gawd’s perfect plan.
I so dread scheduling an appointment with a dentist. I’ve been meaning to do that…for three years now.
I’m praying for you.
My last comment was supposed to read:
I’m praying for you. I’m sure that’ll help.
Don’t know what happened to the second sentence. *Poof* into the void.
Incipient periodontal gum disease? Doesn’t Andreas Moritz have something to treat that? Unfortunately I think it involves pooping in a colander.
That’s it! Liver cleansing to the rescue.
Is it safe?
Damn, and I thought my crown and filling last week were a pain.
Sorry Professor. The discomfort of extensive dental cleaning pails in comparison to the 2-3 week agony of a hemmorrhoidectomy, even with Tylenol 3. (Pain relief my ass.)
Coulda been worse. You could’ve been debating a YEC.
My dentist when I was a sprog – back in the early 60s- was named Dr. Mercy. He showed none whatsoever and in fact we finally stopped going to his practice after he bodily threw my youngest brother across the surgery.
Flash forward to my first dental checkup after moving from UK to California; Dr Norling of Los Altos (a fine dentist) bends down to inspect his new territory and starts giggling. “Come here Lani” quoth he to his assistant,”and take a look at this heroic British dentistry”.
After some heavy work on replacing, crowning and a couple of totally pain free root-canals laterI haven’t needed any serious work in years. The pain does come to an end, eventually, PZ. In the meantime, take comfort in the thought that you will soon have a toothy smile to rival the best of the fundagelical loons.
Word fail at #18… should have been ‘pales’. *hangs head in shame.*
Re: #22 “Word fail at #19… should have been ‘pales’. *hangs head in shame.*”
Crepes Almighty.. now basic math fail. Word fail occurred at #19. (Sorry MAJeff, OM.)
OT…but this might be worth a look..
“Last week we noted how Pat Robertson, Jonathan Falwell, and other right-wing activists in Virginia are targeting Gov. Bob McDonnell and other top elected officials to cut off any state funding for Planned Parenthood.
During a press conference unveiling the effort last week, a state legislator declared that God punishes women who have had abortions by giving them disabled children later:..”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/va-legislator-disabled-children-are-gods-punishment-women-whove-had-abortions
I had a cold this weekend too. You have my sympathies.
Sniff.
PZ, the government has used this procedure to install radio tracking devices in your teeth. From now on you’d do well to wear a reflective metal foil around your head.
Re #6
My wife contends that I am insane because I would rather put up with the pain of dental work (at least up to getting/replacing a filling) without novacaine rather than have my mouth be numb for 3 hours. Now is this fair?
It is not as if I have a high pain threshold. Yes, it hurts. But it hurts for a half hour, as opposed to 3 hours of drooling and being unable to speak properly.
Okay. I don’t know where the diamonds are, but I can’t resist the launch code. It’s P.O.E. as in Purity Of Essence. Someone had to do it. ;-)
Perhaps some oil of cloves will help.
Periodontal gum disease!?
Does that mean you’re having problems with your periods? Or does it have something to do with periodically chewing gum?
I’m so confused.
I have one word for you, PZ: flossing.
I was in a situation similar to yours a decade or so ago. Started using floss and mouthwash. Now my dentist gives me nothing but praise when I get my checkups.
Recently they changed computer systems and had to do a complete re-documentation of all fillings, crowns, etc. The first thing they recorded was, “Donald has all his teeth.” That caused some amazement; apparently most folks have lost at least their wisdom teeth by the time they reach my age.
It’s times like those when I wish there truly was a homeopathic alternative :)
I always thought that hours long painful sessions at the dentists are absurd — there should genuinely be a way to compensate or avoid the pain altogether OR at least make the procedure much faster.
It’s like those times when patients come into the ER with a dislocated shoulder or hip… sometimes it pops right back in. But sometimes it can take 20+ tries and NONE feel good for the patient. KNOCK THEM OUT!
MadHatter (#28):
P.O.E. is the recall code (or, more precisely, the code prefix necessary to make the CRM-114 device in the SSB radio pass the transmission). Sheesh.
Ouch, sorry to hear. My sympathies.
PZ, you need to change who cleans your teeth!
I used to get those painful cleanings at the dentist office but now I go to the periodontist who use a laser device to clean my teeth/gums.
This is much less painful than the cleanings I used get at the dentist office.
They can do the entire set in 30 – 40 minutes. It costs more, but it is worth it in reduced pain/bleeding.
How does one even say “CPE 1794 TKS” when one’s mouth is all swollen and numb?
That was years ago. The code’s much simpler:
http://www.damninteresting.com/ive-got-the-same-combination-on-my-luggage
And now Our Lady Peace is running through my head.
Well, good luck on Thursday. I haven’t yet had any serious dental problems, so I can’t say I sympathize, but hopefully all goes well!
Uromastyx @ 8
Sorry, HTML tag failure…here’s the link…
I did have a litte hole in a front teeth some years ago. Apparently my habit of nervously munching apples all the time was to blame.
I did have a litte hole in a front teeth some years ago. Apparently my habit of nervously munching apples all the time was to blame.
But it kept MD’s away, right? Now, if you’d just dilute those apples to imperceptibility, would it keep ND’s away?
Similar procedure made a “religious” flosser out of me. I’m sure you’ve had the “drill” to floss correctly.
Hmmm… We may have to change your name to B.G. Myers, and you’ll have to take up the saxophone, and appear in the Simpsons, and mentor Lisa.
Don McLeroy’s tentacles reach all the way up to Minnesota?
The first of this month I had a root canal and two crowns installed plus various small cavities filled. Fortunately, my dentist works fast and managed to get it all done in two sessions. A visit to his office is always a trauma for me, but this time he made me laugh. Of all the dentist I’ve had work on my teeth his is the only stomach that can growl in three part harmony.
#27:
But drooling and being unable to speak properly could get you a post on the Texas SBOE!
Why didn’t you go for the nitrous oxide, man? I got the nos hose for my periodontal therapy this morning, and the hours skated by. I chatted happily with the hygienist about the Olympics and baby photography while she bathed her latex-clad fingers in the fount of my blood. Give it a try.
Gum disease – it’s been the curse of my life for years, and all the flossing in the world (vital as it is) won’t stop a stress related flare up. Interestingly, my periodontist told me that some people simply have a genetic predisposition for gum disease. I have the cleanest teeth in Melbourne, but it hasn’t stopped me losing four of them to the dreaded periodontitis. With me, stress is such a significant factor that my ex-wife, and my new partner, will ask me what I’m worried about if I mention that I have a gum inflamation. A new job six years ago cost me one tooth, while last year’s marriage break-up cost me two. My periodontist offered me fancy implants for $40,000. I lolled.
PZ – are you brushing and flossing your teeth DAILY? Get that floss going mate … you gotta massage the gums.
So the power of prayer DOES work! teh crazies at makemeyerssuffer.com have been praying very hard. ps. god can’t spell your name either – makemyerssuffer.com wasn’t being channelled to the big man upstairs, apparently.
Been there-done that. You have my deepest sympathy
I enjoyed the Marathon Man reference. The “Is it safe?” scene was torturously entertaining.
Courage. It will hurt for a few days after, but once it heals you’ll feel so much better, you’ll wonder how you put up with the build up for so long.
Floss!
Shoulda gone for the homeopathic treatment instead. Sure, it doesn’t work, but at least you’d have the feeling that you’ve actually done something good… sorta like prayer.
Get well as soon as possible, PZ.
My sympathies, PZ. Almost all the remotely serious physical pain I’ve ever had has been tooth-related – I blame my parents for letting us eat too many sweets, and the ebil gubmint’s failure to fluoridise the water until recent decades. My son has perfect teeth – no extractions, no fillings, no need for braces.
Don’t smoke. Nonsmokers never have to visit the periodontist.
My sympathies.
I had my wisdom teeth removed about 12 years ago. The local dentist didn’t do general anesthesia, and the nitrous made me nauseous, so I went through the whole thing on a local anesthetic only. To make it worse, one of the teeth needed to be chopped out in chunks.
When I had my first cavity filled 3 years ago, my (new) dentist remarked just how calm I was as a patient. =/
Oh, screw all you comments about nonsmokers/etc. never have to visit the periodontist.
I’ve had to since I was 19, since growing up my parents never took me to the dentist and told me I was under their thumb until 18. (Of course, that was compounded by having the wrong proteins in my saliva… if I eat something sugary and don’t brush immediately, within 15 minutes my teeth are coated with a sludge you can scrape off and see visibly.)
Try having “middle aged teeth” at 19. Try it. It’s no fun. For my 19th birthday, I found out I had 19 cavities.
You don’t have it too bad, PZ. You really don’t have it too bad. No offense, I just hope this sad story helps you feel better about your own condition.
May I make a suggestion – take a few minutes to look over this site – http://www.oralbreeze.com.
Yes, I own the site and invented the products.
And read the product feedback on Amazon also.
Tom
No diabetes to go along with the periodontal disease I hope. I hate the routine – interdental brushes, tuft brush, more floss, and semiannual visits to the torturer.
There’s now a reversal agent! I ask for it everytime. Immense improvement.
#35-
As a D.D.S. I must concur. There is no reason to suffer in any dental treatment. I tell every patient, every procedure, that “if you feel any discomfort or need anything, just raise your hand”
BTW- yes, lasers are great for disinfecting a periodontal pocket and removong necrotic epithelium, but if there’s calculus (aka tartar) present it must be removed by hand or ultrasonic scaling first before a laser may be used effectively.
Am I the only person who uses an ipod and headphones in the dentist’s chair?
Hmm, this is getting too dangerous — I’m moving those diamonds to another location. It’s better if you don’t know for now.
@#64
Not at all, my dentist use’s one all the time …
He hates to listen to all that screaming and wailing.
At least he named his yacht after my family. We were so touched that we added a few cavities in his keel. And we damaged the boat a bit too!
(where ARE those rimshots when you need them ?!)
I’ll be here all week. Try the veal-jello!
Tax Religion.
Tark
I call bullshit! Dentists don’t do hemorrhoidectomies.
(If I’m wrong about this I sure hope they wash their hands.)
Mmmm… lunch codes… I’ll have a htoo;;rf vjrrdr please.
This would be the better dentist to see.. better then Steve Martin IMO..
Dental pain – a strong argument for atheism.
All I can say is: Anything with doxylamine succinate and codeine in it…
Do not operate heavy machinery, like earth-conquering lasers, while under the influence.
#27:
You’re not insane. The drilling, etc. hurts like hell, but only for a few seconds, and it’s a lot better than having your mouth so numb that you end up biting your lips, tongue, and whatever without realizing it.
The rest of you are all wimps!
My sympathies. May not be much comfort, but you’ll get used to it. You have too, or die early.
So, after about 10 years of avoiding the issue, I get sat down with the dental hygenist in my (newly) regular dentist’s office. She probes one tooth, than says “this is way beyond me. You need a specialist”.
So I am now four root canals, two crown lengthenings*, and two implants later, I get scraped every three months down to the bone under my gums. But the periodontal disease is finally licked. And I have to say for me the magic bullet is in my Sonicare.
* Queasy alert!
One lengthening and one implant prep were done in the same session last month, since they were adjacent. I am continually amazed at the plasticity of gum flesh. “lengthening” is a euphemism for increasing the height of the lower tooth stump so the dentist has somewhere to attach the crown base, necessary when the tooth breaks off below the gum line. This is buried in bone, so how is it done? The gum is separated in a line, below the teeth shoulders or about 1/4″, around the front to the back of the teeth and lifted up out of the way. It squeaks as the dentists pulls it up over the teeth.. The bone thus exposed is ground away to lower the shoulder of the teeth. In my case, one of the root locations was also drilled out – in the bone – to a conical shape and repacked with (my) bonemeal. Then the lifted gum is pulled back down to the bone line and sutured back in place. That’s it for the crown, but the implant needs two more surgeries. All of these sessions are two to three hours. Out patient. And you are eating again the same day (but avoiding damaging the sutures of course). And also taking extra pains for the next 6 weeks while it all heals up and epithelial gum tissue regrows over the incisions and socket.
Moral? one, if you’re a Brit like me, hie thee to a dentist _immediately_ and get those Hg amalgam fillings replaced. Two, if also like me you have been putting it off, DON’T. The narcotics continue to improve, they have much better shelf / cutoff characteristics and are much more predictable in duration, and work very well. Three, gum massage. Floss and / or Sonicare. Not waterpic – good for the teeth but if pointed down into the gum will slowly erode the bone foundations away, so not good for gum massage.
Apparently somebody’s forgotten what drugs are for.
I have only anecdotal evidence but I’m still willing to declare that good pain control makes for faster healing. Anyway that’s a much better side to err on.
AND. Speaking of personal testimony: Beware of Swedish* dentists. The one I had when I was a kid thought Novocaine** was bad for one’s character. I’m not sure he used it when he pulled his own wisdom teeth.
Ron Sullivan
http://toad.faultline.org
*-American
**I’m that old.
Ask for gas it makes it all worth while and start to floss after eating (get the picks they work well
Blake Stacey (#33):
“P.O.E. is the recall code (or, more precisely, the code prefix necessary to make the CRM-114 device in the SSB radio pass the transmission). Sheesh.”
Sure. That’s what they want you to think. But in reality, when that code is issued the missiles will be launched.
Okay, never mind. I’m just kidding! I remembered as soon as I posted that in fact it was the recall code and not the launch code. Sheesh to you too! I wondered how long it would take for someone to pounce on that.
I got you beat, PZ.
I spent fully five solid hours in “the chair” last summer, getting TEN crowns put in. Now that’s a lot of grinding.
She (the Doc) must have had a delicate Dremel tool however, because she claims I almost fell asleep twice, even with just Novocaine applied.
What a horrible thing it must have been, centuries ago, to actually DIE of tooth decay.
REAL villains need no access code.
Leia: “No! Alderan is peaceful, we have no weapons, You couldn’t possibly. . .”
Moff Tarkin: “You would prefer another target, a military target? Then name the system! I grow tired of asking this so it will be the last time: Where* is the rebel base?”
Leia:“Dantooine, they’re on Dantooine.”
“There, you see Lord Vader, she can be reasonable. Continue with the operation, you may fire when ready”
Leia:“WHAT!!”
Moff Tarkin: You’re far too trusting. Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration – but don’t worry; we will deal with your rebel friends soon enough.”
https://me.yahoo.com/a/Qyl5M1Y3ypsjat_F_b4D6atoOkK_rEjErw–#771d7 #57
I can assure you from personal experience that this statement is not true.
mothra #78
The shrill scream of a dentist’s drill never fails to have me huddling in a corner. Ugh.
Just for contrast, I just got back from the endodontist where I was expecting to have to decide between root canal or extraction followed by implant, only to be told that the “huge” abscess I had three weeks ago — about as painful as anything I’ve ever had — had apparently gone away, and the X-rays now looked completely normal. He thought it was very strange, but said he wasn’t going to start any procedures when everything looked normal. Time will tell.
Maybe it’s a miracle?!
#77 SaintStephen
I read that King Tut died at the age of 18 from a tooth abscess. And we found out when he was 14 that my son had a missing heart valve and he has to take antibiotics before every dental visit to prevent an infection from traveling from his gums to his heart. (Not to mention wisdom teeth being too big for our jaws…..Gee, what god came up with that Intelligent Design?)
You can beat back the tartar buildup that causes gum disease by daily brushing (Sonicare is the best toothbrush I have ever used); flossing and an antiseptic mouthwash rinse – best if done before going to bed.
When I was out of the country for 2 months in a hospital caring for my Mom who broke her hip, I got careless with this routine and, sure enough, my last cleaning was bad – lots of “4’s”. I am never skipping a nightly flossing again!!
(And speaking of cruel ways to die – I cannot imagine the agony of an elderly person breaking their hip in a time before pain-killers, antibiotics and surgery. Before the painkillers kicked in, even taking a pee put my Mom in excruciating agony. Why does god hate old people?)
Sorry to hear about the dentistry, PZ. Hope you get feeling better.
I once was in the chair with a muscular hygenist headlocking me as she gouged away. She paused to adjust her grip, and said, “Your ex-wife was a particular friend of mine. Why did you dump her?”
Good timing. Those Irish might be able to put up with your ghastly plaque-encrusted maw, but down here in Melbourne we demand higher oral standards.
Brush and Floss. Every day.
And see your dentist every six months.
Really.
Only in your dreams. Sometimes the body removes the infection/cancer on its own. No need for imaginary deities.
You could ask them to use the old fashioned scraper on your next visit. When they use the sonic device of doom on me it feels like my brain is being cleaved in two. (Although I swear people in the dental profession are closet sadists so maybe s/he enjoys causing you pain).
Dental Care is a tool of Satan!
Or something.
You have my sympathy, Professor.
Incidentally, just recently I’ve finished reading “Deeper than the Dead” by Tami Hoag, a huge mistake, and I will not be seeing a dentist in the near future.
I would respectfully suggest that our host, and everyone else around here for that matter, study up on vitamin D. It’s the real deal and remarkable stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
and for you video addicts:
Vitamin D is actually not a vitamin but a prohormone, and it’s primary, but far from only, function is as a key activator of the immune system. Since I got my vitamin D intake up to an effective level (1000 IU/day/25# body weight) I’ve cleared a host of nagging little and not-so-little infections, including my gums are no longer inflamed and no longer bleed when I floss. It also seems to substantially boost resistance to seasonal colds and flu. It’s good for what ails almost everyone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D_and_influenza
BTW, vitamin D has not gotten the research attention it deserves until recently because it is *cheap.* It’s made from lanolin and no-one is going to make any money from pushing it so no-one has been funding research. Here’s a good place to buy research-grade vitamin D (check out the 250 count 5000 IU caps on the second page):
https://secure.bio-tech-pharm.com/catalog.aspx?cat_id=2
Oh, Nerd, they aren’t my dreams! But I can see how the religiously inclined might go for such piffle.
I never understand all the pain people suffer at the dentist. Then again the most painful procedure I have experienced was having my wisdom teeth removed. This was not that bad considering I was knocked out the whole time. In fact that was one of the coolest things ever, I don’t remember shit from that procedure and even woke up in another room which was for some reason awesome. Sounds like your shit sucked though PZ I feel for you man and hope that your gums feels better soon!
Oh, no. Don’t mention wisdom teeth. I’m getting one of those removed soon, too.
I’m hoping it isn’t as bad as the last time. The dentist actually had to kneel on the arms of the dental chair, and wack a chisel with a hammer to break the tooth apart, and then picked out the fragments from the socket.
Apparently not – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8518584.stm
Oh noes! The wisdom teeth!
One bit of dental wisdom I learned years and several extractions (*sigh*) ago was ALWAYS go to an oral surgeon for extractions. Any competent oral surgeon can pull teeth, including problem wisdom teeth, like he (or she) is shelling corn. My oral surgeon is deeply competent, *almost* fun, and perhaps more interestingly, notably less expensive that your average dentist.
@#91:
LMinusPQauling, that you?Oh, it’s even cheaper than that. Go outside in the sun and take your shirt off–free vitamin D!
Its primary role is pretty obviously in calcium balance. It has complex but overall suppressive effects on the immune system as a whole (esp. T cells). Some of its metabolites are even under consideration as anti-autoimmune and anti-transplant-rejection drugs. It does stimulate aspects of the innate immune defenses that protect against viral and other microbial infections of epithelia.
Dude. Have not been back to the “dentist” – played in this movie by Lawrence Olivier – since the removal of my antiquated amalgam – on the right lower molars if you must know – with multiple break thru episodes regarding the “sedation”… I feel for ya Man… good luck on the next go ’round. I, personally, …quit. They will have to come and get me – pry my gun from my Cold Dead Fingers, as it were – as my dental abscess ruptures and renders me and the folks within a 6 foot radius insensate. I would look to my God for strength but, sadly, I find God strangely absent from the Waterboarding – I mean – Hygienist chair…
Wow. I think I might have tied at least three different threads together in one post. I have tingles up and down my spine now. Woo Hoo!
— ooh, that might be FOUR threads…
I don’t go to the dentist. I believe that most oral syndromes are nosocomial. PZ has probably been inocculated with a new biofilm.
Sven says:
He may be right where he is, but not where I and a whole lot of people live. For many months of the year I could go outside and run around all day in my speedo (there’s an image even I don’t want to contemplate) and all I’d get is frostbite and no vitamin D. And I’m white; anyone with dark skin is likely in *real* vitamin D trouble outside the tropics. Vitamin D’s actions are complex indeed; watch the YouTube video for a technically sound yet entertaining exposition by an MD/PhD who knows his stuff.
And nope, I’m not Dr. Pauling returned to haunt. I’m as skeptical as anyone around here. I tried his fad, carefully, and several others as well and concluded that nearly all of them were ineffective or worse. (The exceptions are D, a little zinc, and taking some fish-oil along with the D is a good idea.) Vitamin D has proven to be very nearly a panacea, especially for all things epithelial, for me and several friends and family members. And it has also been bad for business for the drug companies and doctors.
Yeah, thanks for sharing but TOO MUCH INFORMATION! Get a Sonicare and spare us future dental details. And 100 comments on this item?! Some “science” blog – this is turning into a PZ Myers fan club.
Yes, remember to floss — and use a gum massage tool (the little bronze stick with a teardrop shaped rubber tip, available at a drugstore near you). It presses all the bacteria out from any pockets in the gum. Gross, but terribly effective.
DaveWTC, get over it. PZ is just the catalyst for the exchange of gross but necessary personal treatment information.
PZ, you have been given a lot of advice on gum care, but no one has mentioned vitamin C. Because it will strenghen your connective tissues, your gums will be less likely to bleed, and it may help prevent future infections. Try taking a gram a day. It can’t hurt, and it will probably help!
@#103 Thank you, thehuntbox. I am trying to understand, really I am! Maybe it’s because I’m such an unfeeling, insensitive bastard. :-)
Scrupulous home care is the most important thing to control or prevent periodontal disease. Frequent cleanings are a very good idea. I recommend at least four cleanings a year.
Sorry, but I have not seen the miracles of Vitamin D or anything else when it comes to perio problems. The physical removal of debris by scrupulous home care and periodic cleanings deprives the bacteria of their medium to thrive.
chlorhexidine rinse is a good idea despite the staining. The stain can be removed at the cleanings. However, without the diligent removal of plaque, nothing will work very well, only slow the process down some at best.
Where do I send the bill? We have silent drills but they take all the fun out of it so we don’t tell anybody…
I have a D.M.D. We are smarter than D.D.S.’s, etc.