"Is this a really long dental appointment, or is it just me?" asked my dentist as he prepared to install a temporary bridge in the upper left side of my mouth.
I was well into my second hour in the chair this morning as he worked to replace a four-tooth bridge that he had made for me 17 years ago.
My first clue that something was wrong came after lunch yesterday when I discovered I had what felt like a whole bunch of loose teeth. I got an emergency appointment and was at his office about an hour later, despite the fact that it's about 55 miles from my home to my dentist's office.
He glued things back together to get me through the night and set me up for a 9:10 a.m. appointment today.
My wife, who worked for several years as a dental assistant before she got serious about journalism, tells me I'm very fortunate to have gotten 17 years out of a bridge, saying 10 years is the average life expectancy of one like mine.
His office manager is trying to get the dental lab to put a rush on the ceramic work in hopes of getting it in my mouth before I saddle up for Colorado and points west a week from tomorrow.
If not, I am assured the temporary bridge he put in today will hold up until my return.
The bill? About $2,400, with my wife's dental insurance picking up about half, if we're lucky.
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