Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Novocain

  • The last of the “just”

    R. SteinbergCambridge, Massachusetts, United States My dentist approached the chair to crown one of my favorite teeth. I am a retired orthopedic surgeon, and a fearful dental patient. I smiled sadly, and opened. When she removed the swab, I proposed a challenge. “Could you get through one day of patients without saying ‘just’?” She grinned.…