Brushing With The Stars!

I borrowed that title from an American reality TV show where celebrities try their luck on dancing. But in this piece, nobody’s dancing, only brushing. Their teeth, that is. Ha-ha-ha!

So, what is it with dentists that scares us? 

                          (I have the room all to myself.)

           (Thank God for anesthesia! Otherwise, I'd be afraid. 
                           Be really afraid. Ha-ha-ha!)

When I was a kid, our mom would bring us to Doctora Sogono’s clinic which was next to our parish church. It was always a scary trip to her clinic. Her sharp, stainless steel instruments sitting on her table, not to mention the sound of the drill when it was on, were scarier than the ‘aswang’ stories I heard growing up. Sometimes, while my mom, my brother and I waited for our turn, I could hear the crying and the loud groaning of the patient before me. I wonder if dentists are trained to ignore the agony endured by their patients while they say…”Aaaaahh”?

               (I could watch CNN through a computer monitor 
                                  while on the dental chair)

                                          (Oh Jee-Ho)
But I have outgrown those ‘scary dentist’ days (but I think my brother is still scared of one) and here in Seoul, I am only scared when dentists and their assistants are not able to speak and understand English. Why? If they can’t understand what I’m saying with my mouth freely open, how could they able to understand me with my mouth closed? Ha-ha-ha!

Luckily, there’s one dental clinic in my Hannam-dong neighborhood that stands out. Not only most of their dentists and assistants able to speak English, their clinic is clean, spacious and…frequented by celebrity patients!

                                    (Kwon Sang-Woo)

The first time I visited this clinic years ago, I thought I walked into a talent management company because the picture frames displayed at the entrance and in the lobby were photographs of Korean actors and K-pop celebrities smiling with the clinic’s dentists. It’s a common practice here in Korea, where even restaurants and cafes display pictures of celebrities who visited their place.

                          (I thought this was Son Dam-bi 
     but I was corrected by a colleague that this is Eugene.)

(SG Wannabe K-pop group. I edited out the face of the other member who committed suicide the other year. I hope it was not for dental reasons.)

And in this clinic, which celebrities have endorsed, I thought I was in good dental hands. So, over the years, whenever I need my regular dental prophylaxis, or for a more serious dental consultation, I don’t hesitate calling up the clinic for an appointment. And a day before my appointment, they’d text me a reminder of my scheduled visit, a value-added service to the celebrity smiles that welcome you!

So, whenever I’m laying on the dental chair, or brushing my teeth at home, I just think that since I share the clinic, the dentists and the dental hygienists with them, I must be…brushing with the stars!

Now, open your mouth and say 'aaaah'.

                              (My perfect celebrity smile!)