As If I Have Nothing To Do

A few months ago, I wrote a post (read here) about being a sculptor. Specifically, how as  a kid I’d tried my hand at the art of sculpting without much luck but then in later years while working as dental technician, I realized I was sculpting teeth. After that enlightening discovery, I started making all sorts of things: little guns and holsters, cars, candles, birds, or anything else I could think of.

Recently, while sorting through my vast amounts of junk—er, collectibles—I discovered­ some of the “art” I’d made. Yes, I saved most of it, as I do with nearly everything. I dug through the box, remembering how fun it was to create this almost meaningless stuff. I say almost meaningless, because although it serves no purpose, it’s kind of nice to have and look at once in a while. (My wife would probably not agree).

But after I quit working at the dental lab, the creation of my pieces of art stopped. Not having an entire lab full of equipment and supplies at my disposal rather hampered my creativity. This no doubt made my wife happy but I missed making my little treasures.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I had an occasion to need a few items that we had in the dental lab. So, I ordered some supplies and basic equipment. I now can create little trinkets again! (My wife will be so thrilled to read this). I’m not sure what I will make first. Or, when I’ll have the time. Or, what I’ll do with what I make. I guess I could sell it but that doesn’t really fit with my habit of keeping everything. Although... it would be one way to recoup some of my loss. But no, I’ll probably keep it all.

With the cost of the supplies and equipment, some (my wife) would say this could be an expensive hobby. But I look at it more as an investment. Should I, in the future, ever need dentures, I can make them myself! Considering the cost of a dentist visit these days, I think the cost of my hobby just went way down! ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook and paperback on iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. Amazon Profile - http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS. Bruce A. Borders is a proud member of Rave Reviews Book Club.

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In Training

I’ve never been that great at training people. I just don’t have enough patience. Other than where my kids are concerned, I always preferred to just to the job myself - the person I’m supposed to be training can watch. I know, not a very productive method of operation in the long run. But, it beats wasting time explaining things and demonstrating, only to have the trainee not pay attention and mess something up. Then, I end up having to re-do it. That’s not exactly productive either - and very frustrating.

Despite my aversion to training, I’ve had quite a lot of experience doing it (maybe that’s why I don’t like it) at a number of jobs. When I worked as a dental technician, we seemed to go through quite a few people in the plaster department. With many jobs, and especially something such as dental technician work, the job is an acquired skill that may take months - or longer - to master. I know this, but that didn’t lessen my frustration because every few months, just when the person was beginning to get the hang of things, they would quit and I’d have to start all over with a new hire.

One Monday morning, I was dreading going to work because, once again, I had a new person to train. I was prepared for the usual slow routine. But then, I got a welcomed surprise. My trainee was not the normal beginner. She actually listened to what I said and then did a fairly decent job of replicating it! Not bad for the first day! Over the next few weeks and months she continued to be a fast learner and did quite well. I was impressed, as was my co-worker, who helped to train her. Unfortunately, we came up with a strange way of showing our appreciation.

And now, it’s confession time.

While she was out on a delivery run one day, we melted down a few Hershey’s candy bars, pouring the chocolate into little paper cups and adding different toppings: peanuts, granola, or crushed hard candy - and to a few, fresh sawdust. Yep, sawdust. Not much, just a light sprinkling.

Our homemade candy had just enough time to cool by the time our victim returned. And yes, we did convince her to try our special “treats.” If I remember correctly, I think she said they “tasted kind of good but were nearly impossible to chew.”

A cruel trick, I know. We felt bad then and told her what we had done. She took it pretty well - sort of. But for some reason, she never really trusted us much after that.

And just so you know, she didn’t just let it go. No, she managed to get back at us in various ways - several times in fact. Guess you could say she’d learned the “trade” well. Apparently, I’m a better trainer than I thought!

Bruce A. Borders, author and songwriter, has over 500 songs and more than a dozen books. Over My Dead Body, The Journey, and Miscarriage Of Justice, his latest books, are available on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. Now also available in print at many online retailers or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. The popular Wynn Garrett Series Books are now available on Barnes And Noble® at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=867526 See Bruce’s Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders #MiscarriageOfJustice

Technically Speaking

While doing a crossword puzzle one day, the clue given was “A space between the teeth.” Having worked as a dental technician for more than a dozen years, of course I immediately thought of diastema. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the word it wanted was only three letters. Apparently, diastema wasn’t going to fit.

(For all of you reading this who think I’m a complete idiot, I do know the word is gap. So, I’m not a complete idiot. And for anyone wondering what a dental technician is, it is one employed in the fabrication of dental prostheticis – they make dentures, crowns and bridges, and other dental/oral appliances.)

The puzzle got me to thinking. Thinking back to when I first started working in a dental laboratory. I was fifteen years old and could see no reason for using the technical terms. Just fancy words. The common words were sufficient and much easier to understand. It seemed much simpler to say “between the teeth” than “interproximal area.” And, upper and lower appeared to make more sense than maxillary and mandibular.

But somewhere along the way, I gave in, adapting to the technical terms. Or, maybe I just learned the proper terms are more descriptive and concise, which in the long run make them easier to understand. For example, when referring to the sides of a denture, lingual and labial are clearer, at least to a technician, than the everyday terms of inside and outside (does the “inside” indicate the palatal area or the tissue side).

But, now that I’m a truck driver, an extensive dental science vocabulary serves no purpose.

So, now I wonder why did I need to learn all the technical jargon? It appears to have been a massive waste of time and effort. Sure, I know a lot of strange words, but I can’t use them unless I want to sound like an idiot. (See paragraph two above). People return blank stares if I say things like distal, mesial, buccal, or frenum, and apparently, eyetooth is far more popular than cuspid. In retrospect, I may have been right at age 15. Just fancy words.

The problem is however, it is difficult or next to impossible to unlearn something. Even after being out of the field for over 16 years, I can’t switch back. Something in my head forces me to use the correct technical terminology. On the bright side however, if I ever need to know the clinical term for dry mouth, I’m all set. Doubtful, I know.

I did find a use for some of the terminology recently. No, it wasn’t a crossword puzzle for dental technicians, and it wasn’t a game show where I could win millions of dollars – it was a blog. You’re reading it. Thanks.

Oh, and for whatever it’s worth, the proper term for dry mouth is - xerostomia.

Bruce A. Borders, author and songwriter has over 500 songs and 9 books. Over My Dead Body, and The Journey, his latest books, are available on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. For more information, visit http://www.bruceaborders.com/. See Bruce’s Amazon Author Page at www.amazon.com/author/bruceaborders or view his Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders