I reached the dental clinic with a spring in my step and an extra bounce in my fast depleting hair, such was my enthusiasm. My wife had insisted on accompanying me for this visit to the dentist, being concerned about my mental balance. After all, this was the first time that she was seeing her husband in high spirits before a visit to that most dreaded of all medical practitioners. When I was called in, I almost had a boisterous song on my lips and my wife's concerns grew exponentially. Inside, we were asked to sit in front of the dentist's table instead of that petrifying chair. My wife threw anxious side glances at my glowing, smiling face. And when the dentist stretched to reach over and give a sharp pull on my receding hair, she almost fell off the chair.
"The roots have strength but Keratin levels have depleted. Your hair loss is permanent. We will have to your hair from the roots and do a hair transplant. Have this antibiotic and come after 5 days", pronounced the dentist.
My wife was zapped. Was this a dental clinic or mental? I won't be surprised if that thought crossed her mind. She kept looking at me quizically on the way home.
"First I was worried about your mental balance but now I am perturbed about mine. Did we visit the dentist or a dermatologist? A dentist advising hair transplant instead of a tooth...eh?", she seemed totally confused.
Laughing at her discomfort, I said "Don't you know that dentist are also authorized to do hair treatments? Your GK is truly VK...er...weak. Isn't it exciting? I can take leave from office for dentist appointment but have a totally different treatment on the sly. And when I go to office next, they won't recognize the hirsute stranger."
Yes, friends. I was enlightened about the hidden talent of dentists while reading a small news article which said that a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the guidelines issued by the Dental Council of India, which permit Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, who are generally dental practitioners, to perform aesthetic and hair transplant surgery across the country. The PIL has been filed by some business challenged Dermatologist and Hair Transplant Association since it was affecting their daily bread, if I stretch it far. So my bald pated friends, rush to your neighbourhood dentist before their share of the hairy pie is snatched from their fingers and you are advised unnecessary dental implants and make leaks in your pockets.
Yatindra Tawde
