What's so funny, Bill?

Feb 2, 2009

Editor's note: Jimmy Earll (not his real name) is a practicing dentist in Northern California and a stand-up comic who performs all over North America. His column, Laughing Gas, appears regularly on the DrBicuspid.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion.

His name was Bill. I had just placed a routine restoration on No. 11. I was walking him to the front desk to check out when I noticed he was smirking uncontrollably. All but laughing, actually.

"You OK, Bill?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm OK ... sorry," he replied -- but still smirking.

Did I have something dangling from my nose? I wondered. Was I wearing a pink mask or something? What was so darned funny?!?!?

After he left, I found my assistant, Brandy, and asked her why she thought Bill had been laughing.

She shrugged. "I have no idea! All we did was a simple filling."

I thought back over the procedure. Brandy was right -- it was simple enough. I used a spoon excavator for the decay, a Mylar strip, and a Tofflemire matrix band. Nothing unusual or out of the ordinary.

"Well," I asked Brandy, "did I say something funny then?"

To which she replied: "All you said was, 'Brandy, I need to spoon.' Then you said, 'Brandy, strip, please.' Then you asked me to place and position the Dolly Parton. Then you thanked me."

Huh, I thought. I guess Bill was just in a good mood.

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