February 26th, 2018

What on earth is this a picture of?  A pebble?  A meteor in space?  A funky shaped pearl? No, this is my temporary crown which turns out to be far more temporary than intended.

​The day before Valentine's Day I was at the dentist having the necessary work done to prepare for a crown. It seems that the old filling(s) in that particular tooth were so deteriorated that by the time it was drilled out and re-filled there wasn't a lot of actual tooth left. My choices then were, 1) no tooth at all,  2) crown or  3) one of those implanted teeth.  I opted for number two.   It's not really a huge deal other than my dental anxiety, which is not at all uncommon (or so I'm told).  I've had this crown thing done before and lived to tell the tale so I was ready.

​Part of the preparation of this new crown is to take various molds and to drill out the existing filling and then put in a temporary, short-term fakeyfake crown until the new one arrives and in put in place.  It's usually about a two week wait and no big deal. 

​ I am a good patient.  I do what I am told.  In the Medical World that is called being a "compliant patient".  I am happy to report that is what I am. Usually, being a compliant patient  makes things go smoothly for everyone, the doctor, the support staff and me.  I like when things go smoothly so it just makes sense.  Which is why I was so shocked when late Friday afternoon, as I was brushing my teeth after having had a very late lunch/early dinner to find my temporary crown in the wrong place. Which would be in the sink instead of in my mouth.

​I picked it up, rinsed it off and marveled at it for a moment.  How very odd!  I had no idea what to do at that point because it had never happened before.  Logic suggested saving the temporary crown so I put it in a small zippybag.  Logic further suggested calling the dentist office. Unfortunately, they were already closed for the day and of course, it being a Friday, also the weekend. Well hmm.  I gave it some thought.  While it felt odd, I was not in pain so most likely, as long as I was careful I was certain that it would be no big deal. I left a message saying what had happened and asking them to call me on Monday and give me direction on what to do.

​All weekend I ate soft foods cut into tiny bits, I drank through a straw and I made certain to chew on the Other side of my mouth.  So here it is Monday morning.  They haven't called yet, and that's fine.  I'll give them a bit and if I don't hear back, I'll call them.  Honestly I am of two minds.  First of all, I am supposed to get the permanent crown on Thursday anyway. It's just a few days away.  As long as I'm not in pain, it would be no problem to wait.  On the other hand, they probably put the temporary crown in for a reason that I am unaware of, so maybe it really does need to be put back in.  I'm sure it would only take a matter of minutes to pop that baby back in. In fact, I considered doing it myself but knowing how clumsy I am, I'd probably swallow it, drop it on the floor and then step on it, or something equally stupid.

​And then there is the humiliation of demotion.  How do I explain that my temporary crown came off while brushing my teeth?  Or maybe it was the salad I was eating beforehand that knocked it loose?  I have no idea but I feel like I'm not living up to my former status of "compliant patient"  and that by my name in their records will now be some little subtle indicator that means, 'Non compliant patient' and I do not like that one single bit.  I'm pretty sure my record in their office already says, "big baby" because of my dental  nervousness.  Two Strikes!

I guess I'll find out what happens next. And in the meantime, I'm eating a lot of yogurt which is very healthy!

​Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!