« Thinking Like a String |
Main
| Paint, Plumb, Rewire, Cut, Bleed »
May 31, 2007
The Chip and Grind
I chipped my tooth on Monday (Memorial Day here in the United States). I was eating at a local restaurant, bit into a chicken appetizer, when I my tooth encounter something, and--CRUNCH!--I chipped my tooth . I never did find what I bit that caused the crunch, nor did I find the piece of my tooth. It was a small chip--not like the tooth split or broke apart--but it happened to one of my front teeth (upper right central incisor) so it was somewhat noticeable. Plus it left this sharp edge that would catch on my tongue and lip. Ouch!
The restaurant management was very responsive. They insisted I see my dentist at their expense (via insurance of course). I kind of felt for them in their worried state. Our society is so litigious these days (especially NJ), and I'm sure a more opportunistic person could have spun this event into some sort of mega-lawsuit. You could see it in their eyes that they were praying I was not such a person. I'm not.
So I visited the dentist yesterday to discover that, since the chip occurred on the cutting edge of my tooth, it was not possible to fill the damaged area with anything that would permanently hold. I was told grinding was the only option. So out came the dentist drill with a diamond grinding bit, and my two front teeth (because they needed to match in length) were shortened approximately 1 mm each. The results removed much of the chip and minimized the remainder of it. "Luckily" the two teeth that got the grinder were a little "longer than average", so there was a margin for shortening them without making my smile look too funny. Actually, you wouldn't even notice the change, but I sure do.
I hadn't realized how much "thinking" I did with my front teeth. When deep in thought, I used to chew on my lower lip and/or bite my fingernails. Now I can do neither and I'm going crazy for it. I may have to take up drinking, smoking, and fornicating to ease my troubled mind. Or I suppose I could just pick one, but why limit myself? :P
Posted by Tacitus at May 31, 2007 02:34 PM