22nd Century/Vulcan Dentistry

[Albertese]

I'm watching Enterprise for the first time really. Well, I saw it off and on when it was on the air, but I wasn't impressed, though now I'm trying to watch it all through and give it an honest chance. So far I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would.

Except for the science.

Now I know that it's just a TV show, and that Trek, especially after the early 90's, wasn't overly conscerned with getting it right. But....

I'm a dental technician by day, I make crowns, bridges, and implants all day every day. Dental terminology is part of my every day vocabulary so while watching "Dear Doctor" I chuckled at how Phlox got the names of T'Pol's teeth hilariously wrong.

He claims she has a cavity on her Anterior Tricuspid. In human dental anatomy, the term "tricuspid" is sometimes used to refer to the lower second bicuspid, which does happen to have three cusps, but it's not an anterior tooth. Everything behind the canine teeth are "posterior."

The graphic on the screen on the wall showing her "x-ray" clearly shows the cavity (circled on the graphic) on the distal-gingival area of the first molar, undeniably in the posterior region. When Phlox takes his dental instruments to her mouth, he seems to be working on the site shown on the screen.

Now, I get that Vulcans are not Humans and may well have different teeth, but the terminology used is very specific and meaningful. And easily discovered with a simple glance through a dictionary or encyclopedia (which I'll bet they did anyway to look up the terms they did use.) This means that (by my supposition) the writers looked up the correct dental terminology and then deliberately used it incorrectly.

This strikes me as silly and...well...not really lazy, I guess, but... I dunno. It makes me a little crazy.


That said, the actual plot of the story was interesting about the two races, one of which was dying and the other was about to evolve past them.... up until Archer got a little too prescient about the Prime Directive...

Oh well, I'm still enjoying it more than I thought I would.

--Alex

 

[Nerys Myk]

Now I know that it's just a TV show, and that Trek, especially after the early 90's, wasn't overly conscerned with getting it right. But...

I'm not sure it was ever overly concerned with getting it right.

 

[eyeresist]

These things happen all the time, because people are too ignorant to realise they are ignorant. There are a couple of mangled lines that always bother me: in movie The Cell, a doctor talks about someone suffering a cerebral "infraction" rather than an infarction. More recently, in the TV series of 12 Monkeys, a supposed doctor says "wooping cough" rather than whooping (pronounced "hooping" - unless you are a big fan of Doctor Woo?).

 

[Go-Captain]

This means that (by my supposition) the writers looked up the correct dental terminology and then deliberately used it incorrectly.

--Alex

I remember reading something like this, that all the modern Star Treks have a scientist to consult, but the producers actively ignore him if they think it's more entertaining. It's just that that happened more often than not.

Someone must have thought anterior tricuspid sounds sexier.

 

[Melakon]

Someone must have thought anterior tricuspid sounds sexier.

Or they were worried the audience might hear "posterior" and think of the buttocks.

 

[eyeresist]

Someone must have thought anterior tricuspid sounds sexier.

Or they were worried the audience might hear "posterior" and think of the buttocks.

Yes. "T'Pol has teeth in her butt? They are ruining the continuity again!"

 

[Nerys Myk]

This means that (by my supposition) the writers looked up the correct dental terminology and then deliberately used it incorrectly.

--Alex

I remember reading something like this, that all the modern Star Treks have a scientist to consult, but the producers actively ignore him if they think it's more entertaining. It's just that that happened more often than not.

Someone must have thought anterior tricuspid sounds sexier.

They did the same when making TOS. Mentioning they have science consultants is something they drag out out for the press and the fans to lend the shows some gravitas.

 

[mos6507]

They have science consultants related to postulating future technology, not to cross-check things like dental lingo.

 

[Nerys Myk]

So dentistry isn't a science?

 

[Magellan]

More recently, in the TV series of 12 Monkeys, a supposed doctor says "wooping cough" rather than whooping (pronounced "hooping" - unless you are a big fan of Doctor Woo?).

I looked it up and it seams like you are correct but I've never heard anyone ever say hooping cough before. I'd always said it wooping.(I also pronounce whales and wales the same way).
Maybe a regional thing.....like how some supposedly educated people can still say nuculer.

 

[eyeresist]

More recently, in the TV series of 12 Monkeys, a supposed doctor says "wooping cough" rather than whooping (pronounced "hooping" - unless you are a big fan of Doctor Woo?).

I looked it up and it seams like you are correct but I've never heard anyone ever say hooping cough before. I'd always said it wooping.(I also pronounce whales and wales the same way).
Maybe a regional thing.....like how some supposedly educated people can still say nuculer.

I would separate the medical usage from the colloquial - "hooping" is the name of the illness (named after the sound the sufferers make); "wooping" to me is the noise Texans make to indicate enthusiasm.

I did find one site that gave "wooping" cough as the American pronunciation (the samples weren't great - the Brit version sounded like "kooping"), but I would think people who've been to medical school would be exposed to the traditional pronunciation.

Right - after I make my first billion I will do a survey of US GPs and solve this issue once and for all!

 

[Shaka Zulu]

So dentistry isn't a science?

Not one that people have to give a big shit about.

 

[Nerys Myk]

So dentistry isn't a science?

Not one that people have to give a big shit about.

Until that pain in your mouth causes your face to swell up like a chipmunk's.

 

[Albertese]

So dentistry isn't a science?

Not one that people have to give a big shit about.

Until that pain in your mouth causes your face to swell up like a chipmunk's.

Yeah, believe me, you do want a dentist who thinks he's practicing a science. As a technician, I've seen the work from those who don't give a shit and their patients are not being helped.

--Alex

 

[fireproof78]

Not one that people have to give a big shit about.

Until that pain in your mouth causes your face to swell up like a chipmunk's.

Yeah, believe me, you do want a dentist who thinks he's practicing a science. As a technician, I've seen the work from those who don't give a shit and their patients are not being helped.

--Alex

Apparently they played with a dental Mad-Lib before writing the script. A trait far too common it seems.

Seriously, I can Google search proper anatomy in 5 minutes and write a scene based upon it in about 10, and that's just a simplified version. My wife spends hours sometimes research wound care and such for her fan fiction.

My point is that there are plenty of resources out there.

And if the argument is, "Dentistry isn't that interesting" then maybe it should not be in your show. Just a thought.

Also, Alex, if my fiction ever requires a dental scene, I'll be sending you a message

 

[Albertese]

And if the argument is, "Dentistry isn't that interesting" then maybe it should not be in your show. Just a thought.

Hear hear.

Also, Alex, if my fiction ever requires a dental scene, I'll be sending you a message

Ha! That'd be fine, I'd love to help!

--Alex

 

[Orac]

Isn't it possible the writer deliberately made up new terms that differ from human dental terms to make them sound alien?

 

[Albertese]

That's the thing, they didn't make up new terms, they misused actual terms, though perhaps they were doing so in an infantile attempt at making is seem alien.

But rather, it's like saying to T'Pol, "I'm sorry you've broken your rear femur" and then treating her shoulder. Because instead of in her thigh, Vulcan's have a femur in their shoulder. Because she's an alien.

The words have actual meanings and simply rearranging them to make them "alien" is idiocy. If that's what I have to expect from this show, it's gonna be a tough ride...

--Alex

 

[MacLeod]

More recently, in the TV series of 12 Monkeys, a supposed doctor says "wooping cough" rather than whooping (pronounced "hooping" - unless you are a big fan of Doctor Woo?).

I looked it up and it seams like you are correct but I've never heard anyone ever say hooping cough before. I'd always said it wooping.(I also pronounce whales and wales the same way).
Maybe a regional thing.....like how some supposedly educated people can still say nuculer.

I always thought whooping (as in whooping cough) was pronounced hooping. But as it's not a word that comes up often mistakes could easily be made.

 

[Nerys Myk]

In TMP, when Spock is going through Kohlinar the Vulcan Master says what sounded like to me "...disturbs your whooping cough Spock".