What are we supposed to do for dental care if (perish the thought) our local dentist(s) decide to move to an undisclosed rural location? I, for one, do not relish the idea of having a tooth removed by amateurs with razor blades and pliers by candlelight-even assuming I could find someone who wasn't sqeamish...

-- Greg Lawrence (Greg@Speakeasy.org), September 11, 1998

Answers

It is estimated that there is one dentist for about every 1000 patients. There would (I hope) be some left in your area, like a doctor who would be available by "not leaving". If that is not a good answer because you really like your current dentist or doctor, and don't want to train a new one, then other steps are needed.

So if your favorite dentist wants to move to the outback, don't let him. I recommend tieing him or her to the nearest tree, being sure to leave both hands free. Then when you need help, just walk by, sit down, close your eyes, and (politely) ask him to give you some anesthesia or painkiller and pull your tooth.

Of course, be ready to pay for his services. VISA or MC should do. You could also just wait for the Health Insurance to process his claim, then pay whatever is left over.

If you want him or her to be able to use their rinses, water pumps, drills, lights, Xray machines, or probes (heater, UV lights to harden fill material for cavities, etc. be ready to find a portable generator with enough power. Lights are good too, you may need two generators for surge loads and to run the air compressor. (Dental drills use both, dental vaccums may also need air pressure.)

Clean (sterile) water, drains, etc. are needed for dental work. Be sure you have these also available at the tree where you have tied up your dentist.

Of course, you could also just call her up and ask what their plans are for post 2000 services, and what would be needed to support minor and emergency work in post 2000. if the primary dentist is leaving, either follow him or her; or ask for a recommendation to soemone who is staying. (This will save the expense of buying a rope and wasting a tree that could have otherwise been used for firewood. I certainly would not start "braces" during that time (first quarter 2000), but if braces are already in place, plan on how and what must be done to take care and adjust them.

-- Robert A. Cook. P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), September 12, 1998.

Greg,

A friend of mine, a retired Special Forces medic, came back not too long ago from a medical missionary trip up the Amazon. They pulled several hundred teeth on this one, he reported. Yes, he was able to do nerve blocks. How long will carbocaine/ novocaine be around if there's a real crunch? I shudder to even think about it. It's unlikely 'normal' dental work will take place if that's the case, and extraction is likely to be the sole remedy- and that likely without anesthetic.

For the record, I doubt things will be that bad or last that long. But if you want guarantees, buy a new vacuum cleaner.

Get your teeth seen about now. Lay in toothpaste (or baking soda), toothbrushes (a new one every 3 months), floss, etc. A bottle of clove oil might not be out of place if a filling comes out or a tooth breaks or a cavity appears. Another SF friend recommends pine resin as a 'patch' for bad teeth- he says it is naturally antibiotic and will serve to keep air out. I never had occasion to try this particular remedy of his so I can't say how well it works. I also hope I never have to, but I haven't forgotten it though.

LPL

-- Lee P. Lapin (lplapin@hotmail.com), September 12, 1998.

I just got the books, "Where there is no Dentist", along with "Where there is no Doctor" from www.amazon.com. Yuk. I'd prefer the real thing, but these books will get you prepared via stop-gap measures that will at least help keep you from helplessly screaming in pain during power/doctor/dentist outages during y2k. "...Dentist" is by Murray Dickson, "...Doctor" is by David Werner. Highly recommended.

-- Bill (stopithurts!@nodentist.com), September 14, 1998.

my dentist says raisins cause more cavities than chocolate or anything sugary. raisin bran, anyone?

-- ed (edrider007@aol.com), September 17, 1998.