Giants of the Human Spirit: Emergency Dental Visit in Midtown Manhattan

New York never fails to amaze me.

It’s not just the skyline, the chaos, the rhythm of ambition that impresses me anymore. What continually takes my breath away are the quiet giants of the human spirit—the remarkable individuals whose stories unfold in the most unassuming ways and places. Yesterday, one of those stories unfolded in my dental chair.

A young woman came in with a dental emergency. Her crown had fractured, and she had found us through a quick online search for same-day crowns. On the surface, it seemed like a routine case. But as we talked, I learned she was far from ordinary. A recent medical school graduate from London, she was taking a gap year to explore the world before starting her journey as a doctor. A healer in the making, exploring the world.

While my CEREC machine worked steadily to craft a custom zirconia crown—perfectly matching her tooth in shade and bite—she shared snapshots of her journey: the gleaming salt deserts of Bolivia, the majestic glaciers of Patagonia. The landscapes were breathtaking, but what truly moved me was her family’s journey.

Her parents met as young asylees in France, having fled the violence of Sri Lanka's civil war. Her father, a Hindu, worked as a chef, her mother, a Christian, as a waitress. They met in an asylum school while learning French, seeking not just a new language, but a new life. Racism and discrimination in France eventually led them to London, where they found more acceptance and stability. Decades later, here was their daughter: poised, accomplished, and deeply compassionate, traveling the globe with the humility and curiosity of someone who knows the value of freedom and peace.

As she sat in my chair, she wasn’t just another patient. She was a testament to the resilience of human spirit.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. We were addressing a dental emergency, but the moment felt anything but clinical and relevant for all times. Her journey was the eternal story of human triumph against the odds of civil war, migration and integration.

The Bigger Picture: Dental Emergencies and Public Health

According to the American Dental Association, approximately 2 million hospital emergency department visits in the U.S. each year are due to dental pain. These visits cost the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $1.7 billion annually . 1 .Many of these emergencies are preventable with regular dental care, yet for many Americans, dental visits are daunting.

What’s even more troubling are the disparities:

• Women aged 21 to 34 make up the largest proportion of these emergency dental visits.
• Non-Hispanic Black individuals and those in low-income communities are disproportionately affected 2 .

These statistics reflect gaps in access, education, and systemic support. They aren't just numbers—they are stories waiting to be heard. Stories of neglect, of survival, of endurance.

That young woman in my chair taught me yet again the deeply intimate nature of dentistry, where a patient lays bare their soul. Every emergency dental visit is thus an opportunity to connect, to care, to honor fellow human’s journey.

Behind every broken tooth is a story. Behind every crown, a crown-worthy human being.

And in cities like New York—and dental chairs like mine—those stories remind us that we’re all just passing through, hopefully making each other a little stronger, a little kinder, and a little more whole.