Some people tell me I should write something about the budget, so why am I blogging on the morning of “Budget Day”? Well, for one, I happen to be free. Secondly, I have a few burning topics to cover and finally, I want to hear some feedback on the budget from some of the wise jokers out there before giving my comments.
The hurricane of revolution is still sweeping through the Middle East, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s son was spotted attending Eric Clapton’s concert in Singapore, a Spanish celebrity chef at Marina Bay Sands who criticised others for their junk food died of a heart attack at age 53 and a “shadow budget” presented by opposition party SDP was swiftly and even dutifully shot down by our local newsPAPer.
Some things are predictable, some things just happen when they want to and some widely accepted reports just don’t mean much at ground level. Example? They say that the economy is robust. Well, why aren’t my patients robust about paying me for treatment? For the first time, I have implant crowns and bridges sitting on my shelf for a couple of months, uncollected and unpaid for. A rich tai tai complained about a $50 consultation, taking the trouble to send more than a few nasty emails to me. Looks like after 5 years of blissful practice at Orchard, the alamak patient is returning to haunt me.
If you’ve ordered a chair and it breaks after a week, do you blame the carpenter? Perhaps you can, but the owner of the chair didn’t tell you that Aunt Lumpy visited over the weekend and sat on that chair:
In the latest issue of Riskwise, published by Dental Protection, an article provided tips for dentists to avoid taking responsibility for the longevity of dental restorations when there are existing factors beyond their control. But while seeing or imagining chairs breaking under the weight of Aunt Lumpy is easy for most laymen (and grumpy aunties), factors like gum disease, erosion, bruxism are a lot more innocuous in the minds of the men (and grumpy aunties) on the street.
Many understand root canal as something that will eliminate pain from the tooth. If they don’t do a crown over that tooth and it fractures, they blame the pain on improperly done root canal. It’s a scary, risky profession. Dental problems can be complex and difficult to solve and the outcomes highly variable from patient to patient, but most laymen (and grumpy aunties) see it as mechanical, nuts and bolts issues. So what if we take the trouble to inform them?
1. You can’t guarantee? You must be a lousy dentist.
2. Why must I pay you so much money when you can’t guarantee?
3. Yes, I know it’s my problem to begin with, but once I pay you money, it becomes your problem.
4. I want just one filling/crown. Why are you telling me that all my teeth need to be crowned?
Meanwhile, many suppliers have sent me their “revised price list”. Food prices at the food courts here in Orchard have gone up, quality and quantity have gone down. I forsee higher costs, higher fees, lower demand which may actually translate into lower income. Robust my foot. The stressful life here is driving us nuts. Just look at this letter sent to Today a few days ago.
Lingerie Ad Show Women In Right Light?
I wonder how many people took the trouble to go down to Pasir Ris Dr 1 to check out that offensive image and I wonder how much increase in sales Grace Leong had inadvertently brought to the lingerie manufacturer. Who cares if there are women who are too embarrassed to look at it? These women are probably off the manufacturer’s radar. Perhaps personal experience limits her imagination to only women buying or paying for these things.
