Dr. Carroll James has heard this uncomplimentary comment all too often, and while not taking it personally, he does note the unique and often quirky personalities of the patients he treats.

The Whole Tooth, the second book in the series, continues relating some of the more bizarre episodes during Dr. James’s thirty years of practice–including a lovable yet scatterbrained employee who can’t master the phone’s hold button, a house call to treat a bedridden patient that proves comical in the most inappropriate sense, and even a campout with Boy Scouts that harkens thoughts of effective dental remedies for the most unlikely three a.m. wake-up call. Meanwhile, back at the office, farm animals and their antics add to the modern yet rurally located practice. Throughout it all, Carroll maintains his professional decorum–most of the time. Interwoven in his humorous office stories is a laugh-out-loud family RV trip, volunteer work in remote regions of Mexico, and amusing and touching flashbacks to his childhood, illuminating his heart for treating the indigent, here and abroad.