Dental Dilemma
- [[:Category:Episodes with {{{intro}}} intro| {{{intro}}}]]
- [[:Category:Episodes with {{{wraps}}} wraps| {{{wraps}}}]]
Psalm 27:1
“Dental Dilemma” is episode #8 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written by Susan McBride, and originally aired on January 9, 1988.
Summary
A boy plants fear in the heart of his younger sister as she anticipates her first major dental appointment. Unfortunately for him, his plans backfire.
Plot
Whit gets on the same elevator as Jean Forbes. Jean then tells Whit how Dr. Frank Graves deserves a medal for how he handled a situation last week...
The Forbes are getting ready for Sunday School while seven-year-old Emily Forbes is watching her loose tooth dangling in the mirror. She doesn't want to pull it out, because she wants Dr. Graves to pull it. It ends up falling out just before they pray for the food. Later at church, Emily, Jean and Bob talk with Dr. Graves. Jean mentions how much Emily loves going to the dentist. She's going to the dentist tomorrow and can't wait for it.
Later that night, Mark Forbes, Emily's brother, decides to scare her by telling her Dr. Graves is going to pull all of her teeth out with big pliers, and how she will get a shot so it doesn't hurt so much. When her parents tuck her in bed, Emily tells them she doesn't want to go to the dentist because she's afraid. Bob tells her she doesn't need to be afraid.
When the big day arrives, Emily is scheduled to go before Mark, and Dr. Graves takes her to the yellow room. She tries to stall and says she should come back when she's not so busy. Then Dr. Graves tells her he was almost finished. Dr. Graves gently gets to the source of Emily's warped information. The good dentist promises not to hurt Emily, and together they devise a plan to turn the tables on Mark, giving him a taste of what it feels like to be afraid. After they scare him, Dr. Graves tells Mark that even though he was just pulling a joke, he hurt Emily by making her afraid of him, making her lie to her parents, and making her dread the whole day. Mark apologizes to Emily, then Dr. Graves tells him "Smile big like a crocodile, Mark!"
Jean finishes her story, and Whit agrees Dr. Graves deserves a medal. Whit then asks why Dr. Graves never asks him to smile big like a crocodile.
Discussion Questions
- Why was Mark wrong to tease Emily?
- Have you ever teased anyone that way?
- Were Emily and Dr. Graves right to get back at Mark?
- Do you think all teasing is bad?
- Why or why not?
- How do you think Jesus feels about it?
Cast
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| Boy | Unknown |
| Boy | Unknown |
| John Whittaker | Hal Smith |
| Jean Forbes | Unknown |
| Bob Forbes | Roger Scott |
| Mark Forbes | Chad Reisser |
| Emily Forbes | Sage Bolte |
| Frank Graves | Unknown |
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| Emily Forbes | Sage Bolte |
| Mark Forbes | Chad Reisser |
| Jean Forbes | Unknown |
| Frank Graves | Unknown |
| Bob Forbes | Roger Scott |
| John Whittaker | Hal Smith |
| Boy | Unknown |
| Boy | Unknown |
Notes
- Trivia
- This episode was re-aired from FP #02: "Dental Dilemma".
- After its initial broadcast, this episode was re-aired throughout the 1990s. However, after its 1999 broadcast, the episode was not heard again on the radio until 2010. The episode was eventually included in The Lost Episodes in 2007.
- In the early days of Adventures in Odyssey, the regular cast (aside from Whit, Tom Riley, Connie Kendall and the ill-fated David Harley) was constantly shifting. As a result, it wasn't uncommon for characters to appear in only a couple of episodes and actors usually found themselves playing a different character every episode. For example, in this episode Chad Reisser (who would later play Monty Whittaker) plays Mark Forbes, Sage Bolte (who would later play Robyn Jacobs) plays Emily Forbes, and Roger Scott (who would later play George Barclay) plays Bob Forbes.
- Bob Forbes mentions the bygone Soviet Union in this show.
- Listen carefully: to simulate the sound of talking from behind the bathroom door, Chad Reisser seems to be holding his nose while delivering his lines. At the end of the same scene, Mark's closing warning to Emily sounds like it was recorded "wild" after the recording of the rest of the scene.
Reviews
- Adventures in Odyssey Headquarters: Read
- AIO Update: Read
Quotes
Mark Forbes: What’s the magic word?
Jean Forbes: Go!
Mark Forbes: Well, that works too.
Emily Forbes: Frisky doesn't go to the dentist.
Jean Forbes: That's because he's a dog, sweetie. Uh, Bob, why don't dogs go to the dentist?
Jean Forbes: Bob, how about I give you a more distinctive choice?
Bob Forbes: Like what?
Jean Forbes: Like, what would you like, Bob? A bottle of Tabasco, or some angel foodcake?
Resources
- Episodes aired 14 times
- Episodes in The Lost Episodes
- 1988 Season Episodes
- Episodes sorted alphabetically
- Episodes sorted chronologically
- Episodes hosted by Chris Anthony
- Episodes written by Susan McBride
- Episodes directed by Steve Harris
- Episodes produced by Steve Harris
- Episodes with sound design by Steve Harris
- Episodes with music by John Campbell
- Episodes recorded at Unknown
- Episodes engineered by Steve Harris
- Episodes executive produced by Chuck Bolte
- Episodes with theme of Teasing
- Episodes with theme of Fear
- Episodes engineered by Bob Luttrell
- Episodes with sound design by Bob Luttrell
- Episodes with references from Psalm
- Episodes directed by Chuck Bolte
- Episodes produced by Bob Luttrell
- Episodes with promos
- Episodes with samples
- Episodes on CBD
- Episodes on iTunes
- Episodes on Amazon
- Episodes on AIOHQ
- Episodes on the Odyssey Library
- Episodes on the Odyssey Scoop
- Episodes on the Soda Fountain
- Episodes with John Whittaker
- Previously Unreleased Episodes