TOP MARKS FROM THE DENTAL FAIRY!

The rain was hammering down, but we had no choice but to go out this morning, as I had an appointment with Nicky, the hygienist at our dental surgery.  Mr. HCB decided to come with me, but told me later that he realised if he didn’t come that he would be stuck indoors all day - thanks for that and I thought he wanted to be with me!

Anyway, off we went and I was in spot on time for my appointment with Nicky, the hygienist.  I told her that having lost a lot of weight, I no longer ate sugary things like biscuits and cake and very few carbohydrates.  However, I did confess to having the occasional piece of dark chocolate - so when she looked at my teeth, she said that my gums were much better than they were and apart from one tooth, everything looked very good, so she said I got top marks from the Dental Fairy and I should carry on doing what I was doing, because it was obviously working.

When we first arrived, I spotted the "Dental Elf on the Shelf", high up in the waiting room, so took a shot of him so because Nicky knows I take a photograph every day, she wasn’t surprised that I was looking around in the surgery for something to take.  As she followed me into the room, I turned and noticed the “contraption” around her neck, although she probably wouldn’t like me to call it that!  I quickly took a shot of Nicky and then asked her what it was.  She explained that it was a "dental loop" - or so I thought - but she told me it was spelled “loupe” so I found this out from Mr. Google : “Dental loupes are small devices which dentist hygienists use to help magnify a patient's mouth and make their teeth and gums appear larger and clearer. They have focusing lenses inside of an opaque cylinder and typically come attached to frames as eyewear.”  So now we all know!

At the top left is the machine that squirted water all round my mouth whilst she was doing what hygienists do - and it’s a good job we wear protective glasses whilst being “messed about” - the technical term for what a hygienist does in your mouth - because a lot of water squirts upwards as well as inwards and it also dribbles down your chin - one reason I never wear makeup when I am visiting the hygienist or dentist!  The top right shows the x-ray machine, but that wasn’t used today, but there wasn't much else to photograph. 

When I went back downstairs, we were chatting with Amrit, the wife of our lovely dentist, Sat, and I rather liked this shot of her, especially as it seems as if she is looking with disdain at Nicky!  The usual receptionist, Debbie, has "swanned off"  to Jamaica, so today we didn’t have any rude or insulting words hurled at us banter - but joking aside, we do miss her and always enjoy visiting the surgery and I doubt many say that about their dentist.  Amrit did ask if I was taking shots of her, as she said she wasn’t photogenic, but I disagree - would you think she looks old enough to have five children?  All done and dusted, Mr. HCB and I went off for a coffee together but couldn’t bear to wander around in the awful rain, so came straight home.

Under Door 12 of our Advent Calendar for the PANDAS charity it says, “Today you have helped a new parent who is struggling to cope by offering support and advice at the other end of the phone.”  Not everyone takes to being a parent easily, and many families suffer when the new mother has pre or post-natal depression, so it’s good to know that our small contribution helped someone today.

“Parenting is the easiest thing in the world
     to have an opinion about,
          but the hardest thing 
               in the world to do.”
Matt Walsh

P.S.  Many thanks for your kind comments on yesterday's Blip - my hand is much better today and I wonder whether driving yesterday made it sore?