If you are curious how my dental emergency drama played out this morning, try this scenario:
I called the offices of several dentists in Fort Scott between 8 and 9 am. Two were closed, one couldn’t take me until 3 pm, and the fourth told me to come by and they’d fit me in, but warned they were really busy. I called a taxi, got to the office, and waited 2 hours to be seen, and was charged a lot for a temporary filling, since they wouldn’t accept my dental plan insurance. In the end, the total day was an expensive waste of time.
But that is not what happened.
I called Fort Scott Family Dental at 7:30 am, and after explaining my unusual situation, Carina put me on hold for a minute while she called the dentist at his home. When she came back on the line she said, “Dr. Crawford is picking you up at the motel. He’ll be there in 5 minutes.” (Frankly, I still can’t believe it, but it’s true.)
Pleasant, young, and affable (he and his wife have 5 kids; he’s Canadian, she from the Midwest), we drove to his office and talked the whole way. Carina gave me forms to fill out, contacted my insurance company, and assured me they’d work it all out.
As Karis, the dental assistant, prepped me, I asked if the office had a way to dispose of used syringes. She took the batch I’d found on the road yesterday, and Ashley, another assistant, came in to tell me she’d properly disposed of them.
Dr. Crawford was soon working on my tooth, and in short order I had my temporary filling—what you can now see is white instead of black! My portion of the bill was modest, and I was happy to pay it. (I found out months later the insurance company paid $0.)
Then Carina drove me back to my motel! Can you believe this?
I am truly blessed. The weather today was beautiful, the shoulder perfect, and I walked 17 miles today, even after the trip to the dentist.
Shabbat Shalom!
@ Prescott, Kansas