Published In The Great North Arrow, March 1, 2025: Trains, Planes And Automobiles - While You Wait

 Trains, Planes And Automobiles - While You Wait

- jim Young

“Wilbur Force: I'd almost rather go to the dentist than anywhere, wouldn't you? 

Seymour: Yeah. 

Wilbur Force: Now, no novocaine. It dulls the senses.” -  Charles B. Griffith

With the possible exception of Wilbur Force played by Jack Nicholson in the 1960 version of “Little Shop Of Horrors” and Drew Barrymore who once confessed to Johnny Carson that the crush she had on her dentist was just ONE of the reasons she likes to go to the dentist, nobody but nobody enjoys going to the dentist.

Seriously. Have you or anyone you know ever looked forward to a visit to the Dentist’s office?

How many times have I laid in the dentist chair with my mouth uncomfortably open, thinking “Why am I paying someone to inflict such agony on me?”

Dynamic Dentistry goes to great lengths to dull that pain as much as possible and it doesn’t involve laughing gas or sedation.

As I was accompanying my wife, who had an appointment for a cat-scan, I wasn’t particularly on edge anyway, the first time I walked through the doors and into the lobby of Dynamic Dentistry on Oak Street in North Bay. But as my eyes surveyed the lobby, my air of nonchalance was quickly replaced with joy. 

Being a young boy of a mere 7 (decades) my mouth dropped open in awe as I walked the length of the lobby perusing the contents of the glass showcases. On display were rows and rows of trains, planes and automobiles. 

Click on the picture for a larger view.

Each of the 5 shelves in 9 or 10 display cases were filled with model tractors, trucks, buses, spaceships, construction equipment, steam engines and aircraft carriers. Included was a replica of the PT 109 that had been commanded by Lt John F. Kennedy, future president of the United States. To the right was a workable steam engine connected to a grindstone beside which stood the mighty but ill-fated Titanic. 

Before my wife had even checked in, I approached the receptionist saying, “I’m going to need the keys to the display cabinets.”

The receptionist gave me a knowing grin as she looked at me in a manner that suggested I was not the first one to make such a plea. However, before she even had a chance to deny my request, I looked to my right and saw the area they had set aside to occupy the time of young children that might be waiting to see the dentist. 

There stood a small table holding a wooden train set complete with bridges, a roundhouse and turntable. “See the little pufferbellies all in a row,” I hummed quietly. 

Click on the picture for a larger view.

In the corner was a small kitchen with a fridge, stove, sink and kitchen cupboards. Beside the kitchen stood a four foot dollhouse. In the window sill sat a bead maze toy and toy cars to play with. Nearby a small tooth stool was available for children to sit on and a smaller dollhouse and assorted toys waited welcomingly on a desk against the wall. 

Sensing that I would likely have to use more charm than I might be able to muster to convince the receptionist to entrust the keys to the display cabinets to me, I held my finger up to signal that a response was no longer required saying, “Never mind. I’ll be over here.”

“You can play with those,” the receptionist said approvingly to this 70 plus year old man. 

Like she could stop me.

The operation of the train required neither batteries nor electricity… just good old-fashioned push power. The push power of my fingers provided enough force to drive the little engine-that-could to the top of the first ramp where gravity would take over. Once the engine had cleared the peak, I removed my hand and let the momentum build as the train gained speed descending the other side. I am quite certain I heard the little train whispering, ”I-thought-I-could, I-thought-I-could, I-thought-I-could,” as it rode down the mountain.  

As the speed increased, the train was unable to negotiate the curve at the bottom of the hill causing the engine and all its cars to derail and come crashing to the floor.

The receptionist looked up for a brief moment, smiled and returned to her paperwork.

I decided to take a break from my engineer duties and take another look around the lobby,

Deep in thought, I imagined I was sipping on a cocktail in the VIA Rail dome car as it clickety-clacked along the rails across the prairie provinces when I heard a voice call out “Shirley Young. We’re ready for you now.” 

I turned to see My Shirley being escorted down that hall. "Take your time," I called out to the nurse, "We're in NO hurry." She laughed while saying something about how the men that accompanied their wives often felt that way.

As I wandered around, I noticed the walls of the lobby were adorned with pictures of steam engines, sailing ships and tractors. A spider looked hungrily upon a fly entrapped in his web near a window while an assortment of metal ants, butterflies and ladybugs crawled about. Biplanes, triplanes and hot air balloons hung on strings from the ceilings.

In yet another corner a waterless pond encased a tree trunk upon which children were climbing and swinging on a homemade swing while their friends played nearby.

Click on the picture for a larger view.

Even the reading material was impressive. The usual collection of boring magazines like "Cosmopolitan" or "Canadian Dentists Journal" that you might expect to see in a dentist’s office were replaced with copies of "Classic Cars From the 1950s" or historical magazines such as "North Bay From The Past".

The receptionist informed me that the display was only part of the personal collection of the owner of the clinic, Dr. Rod Johnston, more affectionately known as just Dr. J. All the models that required assembly had been built by him and it occurred to me that the many hours spent creating these intricate models from tiny parts was likely good practice for the precision that was required in his day-to-day work.

All too soon, My Shirley returned from her cat scan at which time we were asked to wait until the film was developed to ensure a retake wasn’t required. I wasn’t anxious to go anywhere and if truth be told, I was secretly hoping a retake would be required.

On the trip home, still reeling from the fascinating adventure I had just been treated to, I started to think that more dentists should decorate their lobbies in a similar manner instead of providing the usual dull and unimaginative atmosphere that does little to help alleviate the boredom of the wait.

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