Hillbilly No More!

Fourteen months after my tooth broke off and 2 years after I lost its veneer to a caramel-and-bacon-apple, I finally have a near-front chomper again. It’s a long story, but my choices were an implant or nothing and even though my insurance doesn’t cover implants, I knew I had to have it done.
It’s a long process, obviously. There’s drilling and waiting and implanting and, in my case, a bit of inflammation followed by antibiotics (on top of the antibiotics I have to take for all dental appointments) and then more waiting and molding and finally, a tooth. It’s an apparently strong, permanent tooth that actually looks better than the one it replaced.

me, smiling

Students at Schulich School of Dentistry at Western University will also do implants for about half the cost but double the length of time. People who aren’t in a hurry go this route for all types of dental work. It’s nice to know it’s there but 14 months was a long enough wait for me, thank you. And that’s even though it cost about the same as a 10-year-old motorcycle or a low-end used car. In a Facebook exchange, my journalist friend Dan agreed that this tooth is special and should be treated as such!

D: You should get that tooth insured
L: I’m going to put a little strobe light on it
D: And plate it with gold.
L: And put it in a shadow box
D: When you go on a plane, the tooth will have its own seat.
L: My tooth won’t be allowed to date a rapper
D: Your tooth drives a Rolls
L: My tooth would never have an affair with Matt Brown
D: Your tooth has its own mouth, and in that mouth is a set of gold teeth.
L: My tooth will be asked if it wants a kiss.
D: Did you hear? The tooth is going to replace Glenn Frey in the Eagles.
L: Don Henley will have a love/hate relationship with my tooth.
D: The tooth wants to concentrate on solo projects!

It’s nice to be able to chew properly again and not have to hide my hillbilly smile, at least until my tooth gets a road manager and goes on tour with the band.

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