Why I Was Always Jealous of Dentists

Students often feel that sitting in class is like being in the dentist’s chair.  I, on the other hand, wished I could reap the same benefits as dentists.

Teaching and dentistry are not much different if you look at the pain inflicted on paying “customers.”  The biggest similarity may be homework.  When you go to the dentist, you will often be given things you need to do at home: brush longer, floss, use Listerine, and so on.  And much like students, patients often don’t listen to the person giving them instructions.  And so the patients come in to their next dentist’s appointment with yellow teeth and cavities.  This doesn’t create many problems for the dentist.  It drums up business and fattens his paycheck.  A patient knows better than to blame the dentist for getting cavities.

Teachers have it tougher.  When a student fails to do his homework and enters class with a yellow and rotting brain, the teacher is sometimes expected to do extra tutoring for no additional pay.  Unlike the dentist’s patient, the teacher is blamed if the student hasn’t reached his goals.  But most disappointingly, teachers don’t get the chance to drill inside their students’ mouths.  When a teacher or a dentist comes across someone who is especially obnoxious or difficult to work with, finding something cathartic is a great way to stay sane.  Dentists get to inflict pain intentionally and teachers don’t.  Sometimes life isn’t fair.

So why did you think your dentist was always running out of novocaine?