New-York tribune., 1922-02-26
SHOOTING \ FEEBLE MOLAR
By TORREY FORD

followed the beclon in d duze. let her lead
me up TO the execution seat, adjust the head
rack and snap on the white bib In front of
me was little swinging tray table. It had the
usual assortment Of nut picks. oyster forks
and baby saws, but there was fresh white
paper cover instead Of the od-fashioned glass
top. The basin at the left had sanitary
drinking cup fresh enc for each customer,
Just as we see ct our best soda fountains
Everything seemed winter and more spotless
than as / remembered the layout.
But nothing happened.
81 presume there is a dentist in the vicin-
ity,' | remarked testify after enduring sew
efai minutes Of he zero-hour anxiety
Oh yes" murmured The young thing 'The
doctor Will see you in moment"
She stuck steel-Oac.ed mirror in my
mouth for me to suck on until the evil moment
of actual operations arrived The doctor
came ia buthely hummine something strange
j. akin 70 Pull for the shore sailor, pull
bh. there First sitting? Well we'll" He
ran the mirror around my mouth, pulling up
NOW and then 10 pick at tooth with another
Nea po... "Umh-er-ahr-rh"
As he tool, the tools out of my mouth
came back TO scmi-conscousness and asked
ell Doc, what's the verdict"
Two cavities, one porcelain pivot and
wisdom root 20 extract. Not bad Not bad al
all"
Suppose We worl. INTO the thing gradually,
Dor. Fix up tlat front one first and then
4atef We'll think aboat the rest
Just as you say Guess we better shoot
tAat one before We Work on it,
"Shoot it,"
Yes. Take picture Of it,"
mo. no. protested. "Really, I don't 20
IL ;or mat KIND Of publicity"
had vision Of my bursted nolar lcerinc
out at me from the pictorial sections of most
OF tie Sunday papers. | could hear my friends
tauntlh9 me about it. Some Of them would
surely clip # out and send it to me with
humorous comments. A clipping bureau would
stock me up with more copies. Ny whole sys-
tenn reVoited a. The prospect But the doctor
was at my elbow with measuring words.
'It isn't for publication" he explained Il
SHAH not let print get out of The office. I'd
Just ike to have picture Of what's I'D there in
l.'e roots before go prying in with an instru-
ment and hurt you"
Doc, | said. giving him man-tc-man
handshake I'm with you to the death.
Camera when ready
Imagine a dentists Office turning into =
photographers gallery While | had been LET,
ting the worries rot in their tracks, Truly 7
had dropped behind the times, And the dentist
wasn't fooling me, either He wheeled the
camera into place Just as though it were a
regular part Of the proceedings Ii was a
tall apparatus, white enamelcd and about the
general build of a motion picture camera.
Here the resemblance stopped. There wasn't
any crank and darncd if could discover anv
lens
'No pain to it at ALL" The dentist was speak
ing. Il Just press my foot and the light
flashes. Sec? Clap this on the gum.
Get the focus. Ready
Snap All over
when can get a proof, poc?" asked, as
slid out Of the chair.
"Io-morrow. after 4. Isn't 50 terrible as
you thought, is it,
When got home that night my wife asked
me # the dentist had hurt INC much
"No ! sad; mot much. All he did was
take llashight Of the general scene Of the
disaster. I'm to get the proofs tomorrow
al A."
The next session wasn't SO tanc-not bv a
long sbot-but learned Il lot of new wrinkles
about modern dentistry. The negative of the
afflicted tooth was rather Disappointing The
nght must have been poor or something Per
haps the doctor was more Of dentist than
photographer. Anyway, if that was {; fair
sample of his work he couldn't have qualified
rs an assistant camera man back in the davs