A Matter Of National Security?

Nothing of the sort! I was about to get scanned, an MRI, magnetic resonance imaging it's called. The docs wanted to see what makes me tick. They had me change into scrubs and take off any metal like jewelry.
"Amalgam fillings are OK" I was told, but nobody seemed to be able to explain why a poisonous mixture of mercury and silver packed into the cavaties in my real teeth was OK and a wee little bit of some other kind of metal in a dental bridge wasn't. I actually think that nobody there really knew the answer.

I'm always fascinated by some of the signs and warnings that you'll find in a doctor's office or a medical testing lab. What really fascinates me though is the fact that nobody ever seems to be able to explain what it's all about, what it actually means. Is it really all that dangerous? I keep thinking that if it was that dangerous they'd make you sign a multi-page release of liability and get your signature witnessed by a third party, then notarized as well. Or are they just trying to impress upon you how serious and important all this stuff is so you won't have a heart attack when you see how much they're charging for your five minute long scan?

Well, I was soon back into my jeans and shirt and heading out for a smoke. I guess it's just a matter of time before the dental association cons the insurance industry into paying for brand new fillings after every scan.