T.Mike Curry Weblog

Saturday January 26, 2008

Uncle Sam Says I Can't Get My Teeth Cleaned

I was at the dentist to get my regular six month cleaning. The hygienist reclined my chair and put that paper-thingy over my chest. She pulled up my information on the computer screen next to us and went to enter the date and time of my cleaning into my file.

That's when a little window popped up. I couldn't see it as it was behind me but I heard the little noise the computer made. She says "oh, just a second" and gets up. "I'll be right back" she says as she leaves the room.

When she returned she was very apologetic. She told me she couldn't do my cleaning because my dentist took vacation that day and was not in the office.

It's a federal regulation, she explained. If it has been more than six months since the dentist last gave my teeth an exam, then the dentist has to be in the office for the hygienist to clean my teeth.

The dentist doesn't have to actually look at me. She just has to be in the office. This is if it's been more than six months since my last exam by the dentist. This is a federal regulation.

So... Uncle Sam is now determining the conditions under which I can get my teeth cleaned? When did this start? Why did it get started? Who in the federal government could possibly care enough about when and how I get my teeth cleaned to have started creating regulations about it? How is this benefiting me? Is it supposed to protect me from something? If so, what?

I've been going to this dentist for years. This hygienist has been cleaning my teeth for years. This is the best dentist I've ever had. This hygienist is the best I've ever had and I have confidence in her ability.

I don't mind if the dentist took a day off. I'm a grown-up. I think I can choose to have her clean my teeth or not. It's not like she's going to be extracting a tooth or anything like that. She's just cleaning them, like she's done every six months for the last eight years. She does a good job. I have every confidence in her ability.

Clean away!

But no. Uncle Sam says 'no'. Can't do it. Been more than six months. Nope. There's no dentist in the office today. Them's the Federal Regs.


It's not just the big things Libertarians are talking about when they speak of having smaller government. It's the little things too.

Little things, like when your hygienist can clean your teeth, or not.

  ( Jan 26 2008, 09:21:31 PM CST ) Permalink