On October 24, I chipped the top back third of my lower front left incisor. I was eating dinner, nothing too hard or crunchy, when I was feeling around and noticed that part of that tooth was missing. I must have swallowed it, because I don't remember chomping down on anything hard. Naturally, I was worried. I had a smaller part of that tooth break off the top earlier this year, but this was much larger. Fortunately, it wasn't deep enough to hit blood or anything. I wasn't sure what to do, until I remembered that my dentist had texted me a while back to confirm my next regular appointment for cleaning. I texted back, thinking I would get a fairly quick response. The following morning I remembered that I live in a dead zone without good cellular coverage and the message wasn't send. (I generally don't use my phone to call/text at home, and wifi is more than good enough for gaming. Yet, my text didn't go through wifi either. Eh.) I tried looking for signal all around my home that morning, but it was a no go. Worse, when I called using the landline, I found out that my dentist isn't in on Fridays. Yeah. When I got into work, I was finally able to send my text. No response all day, even after I tried very hard making sure that I felt it was an emergency. I guess when they take off for the weekend, they really make sure to leave work behind. I spent the weekend making sure I ate very carefully and talked as little as I could. I got help off of social media, but the advice wasn't tenable. Sure, I could have used dental wax to fill in the gap, but taking it out and putting it back in eight or more times a day wasn't feasible. Just too much trouble. Anyway, I had to leave for work before I could call the office again. When I got to my store, I had found that the dentist office had called there soon after I left home. (I found out that evening that they had called home too. Called ID is good for something after all.) I was able to schedule an appointment for that Thursday morning, Halloween. They didn't offer any advice though to help with the gap. I was glad I had an appointment, but I was worried about a shipment due in supposedly any day. It was supposed to have been delivered the previous week, but got delayed for technical reasons, and it was supposed to be there by Halloween, possibly while I was at the dentist's. I called back Wednesday morning with my doubts, and the office allowed me to change my appointment to an hour earlier, which actually would cause me more problems than just asking for a different day or for expedited service. (Turns out, the delivery would feature a second delay for 'reasons' and should be here on the day I'm writing and posting this. Eh, again.) I just managed to leave in time, but I got behind a slow truck. I thought I would pick up speed after it pulled off, but I would've gotten behind a coal truck if I hadn't taken an alternate route, one slightly longer. At least I got to hear one Halloween-themed song along the way that I wouldn't have if I hadn't left early. ("Dead Man's Party" by Oingo-Boingo.) I got to the dentist a little late, but not bad. Soon after I got there, I had to pay a fee for either the visitation or the lateness, don't know for sure. I wasn't there for long before I got called back, where an assistant checked my records while another one came in later to take some x-rays. I waited a few more minutes before a dentist came in. Not my regular one, who only does exams in the mornings and not procedures, but a partner. He saw me and determined the best way to fix my tooth, before checking in on the other patients. After a few more minutes of waiting, an office manager (hard to tell as much of the staff were in costume) came in with a form indicating the procedure and cost, as well as another form in case I needed to be put under. (It wasn't needed.) I waited again, until just after my original appointment time at ten, after an hour in total, before the dentist came in to fill my tooth. Because of the location of the filling, I had to be placed at a very steep angle. All the water pooled at the back of my mouth in the sensation of drowning. (Yes, the term 'waterboarding' came to find.) This happened multiple times, but I made it through without notifying the dentist. There were some problems with getting the angle right and in separating the filling from the tooth on its left, but everything worked out. I paid my fee and was able to eat immediately afterwards. I opened about an hour late or so. The filling is still a little tight against my other tooth on the left, the angle is a bit off with the tooth on the right, and my tongue still wants to feel around the slight ridge on the bottom where the filling meets the tooth, but it is slowly getting better. My mother is concerned about the visitation fee, even if it may have been warranted, but I can't get another new dentist this year. I had to switch after my mother got into a disagreement with my old dentist about wrongful charges on her procedures. If not for that, I may had been able to get a quicker appointment with him, or at least some advice. Possibly even reduced prices, but that can't be taken for granted. At least I could have opened my store up sooner. Let's just hope I don't experience another tooth-shearing emergency any time soon.
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