Bridge over Troubled Molars

November 30 – Almost twenty years ago when we still lived in Pennsylvania, I had my first bridge put in, and the dentist did such a good job, that I agreed to have him put in the second, one on the bottom left, and the third on the top left, with a number of teeth involved. Pretty painful that all was, but when it was over with, and I heard the words of the doctor, I was glad!

Know what he told me on my last visit before we moved here to Missouri? He guaranteed that those bridges, all three of them would last for ten years! That was good news because I didn’t want to end up with plates as did my mother, at an early age, nor like my father who had very few teeth but wouldn’t go to a dentist because he was sure that nothing would work out well, if he did. Of course, back in those early days, many grown-ups had probably never even heard of doing much with a tooth brush, let alone visiting the dentists. When people grew “old,” they weren’t even embarrassed if they looked in the mirror and found that they no longer had many of the teeth they had started with in childhood. Nobody else did either!

About three weeks ago, Dale and I went to have our checkup at the dentist’s office. For the last number of years, maybe one in the passing eighteen, we have had nothing fixed or pulled or repaired. Just the poking around with the probe, then a good cleaning, and we are over with the process for another six months.

This year, as the dentist checked all along the top and bottom and gums, she mentioned that it looked as if one of my three-tooth-bridges might be a bit inflamed, and I should put hot water around it from time to time. Well, that didn’t sound like a hard job, and wouldn’t take long.

[ Onion sandwich on rye ]

Unfortunately there was a lot of pain right on in till evening before I went to bed and tossed and turned through the night. I ate nothing but a little soup or yogurt. But when the next day arrived, I felt great, and had a regular meal. (Even an onion sandwich on two really big slices of rye bread). Two bites, and that was it! I could feel that something had given way back on the bridge I had just checked out the day before! Now that was a strange sight for Dale as he saw me pulling out the bridge from the half chewed piece of bread!

Unfortunately, I could not make an appointment to go back to the dentist and explain my sad problem because the dentist wouldn’t be there. Two days later the dentist had X-rays taken by one of the assistants. Nothing could be done in that office, so one of the assistants handed Dale a little package of the X-rays and some things we should do before making an appointment with a specialist who takes care of such problems.

[ Four nights before a repair! ]

Unfortunately, that dentist could not take anyone else until about four days later! I took a pain pill every day, just ONE) put a deep layer of cotton balls in the area so my tongue wouldn’t get too close to the bridge, drank water or light soup with a straw, and really didn’t appreciate having to wait so long for treatment. I wanted that bridge repaired now! More about my appointment tomorrow… – CHRIS