Two years ago, a dentist in my town decided to remove one of my lower front teeth because of a cavity in a difficult place. She didn’t seem to want to do it. I talked myself into thinking I didn’t care, but I did.

I missed the tooth, and I felt something valuable had been lost. It wasn’t just vanity. I want to keep my teeth and will fight for that. I wish she had. I  said I didn’t care, but that wasn’t true.

I always thought she could have saved the tooth if she wanted, and ultimately, I switched dentists. I knew it wouldn’t matter to Maria, and I thought it wouldn’t matter to me.

It was no big deal, but I didn’t like a hole in my lower teeth. I spit sometimes and developed a slight lisp when I talked, and I wouldn’t say I liked looking in the mirror and seeing that vacant spot. It made me feel older than I was.

I want to keep all of my parts intact if I can.

The incident bothered me enough that I ended up switching my dental care to Dr. Jacob Merryman, who has a new practice in nearby  Schuylerville. I trust him completely, and I  like him immensely, and I look forward to seeing him when I have to go for my check-ups. That is a first.

He and I have hit it off; I’ve never had a dentist like him, we laugh and trade stories, and he has already done a remarkable job on my teeth. His wife and kids visit Zinnia and me sometimes, and I love seeing them. He is a nice human but an awesome dentist. (And he loves lobster rolls, he’s heading out to see Brooke soon).

Due to an X-ray snafu in the old practice, five cavities went unnoticed for a long time, and I could have lost those teeth. He fixed and saved all of them, and I have no doubt he would have saved the lost tooth that became a hole in my mouth.

Maria doesn’t care about those things, she insists that I am handsome, but I guess I do care. I didn’t think I did. I’ve never had much to be vain about, yet there it is. Even the ungainly can be sensitive about their teeth. When I smiled, the missing tooth stood out.

During the last visit, I asked Dr. Merryman if there was any way to get a new tooth without dentures.

I don’t know why I asked, and I just had a feeling I ought to mention it. I wondered if there was anything like replacing a lost tooth without false teeth. He said sure; he did what he called “bonding,” taking a porcelain tooth, inserting it where the lost tooth was, and bonding it to the teeth on either side.

He said it was no big deal, he could do it. It was a big deal to me.

He said it would help shore up the neighboring teeth, and it never needed to come out. It could be cleaned just as teeth typically are. The process wasn’t cheap – close to $900 – but I could put it on my new Care Credit card designed for costly medical bills and take a year to pay.

People reading this may be savvier than I am, I never heard of tooth bonding, nor was it ever mentioned to me. I would have jumped at it then.

I didn’t hesitate; I jumped at it now.

This morning Zinnia and I went to get the newly bonded tooth. It took about 45 minutes- much bullshitting between us –  the process was completely painless,  the tooth fits perfectly, and when he helped up a mirror for me to look in, I honestly couldn’t tell which tooth was new. When I got in the car, I looked in the mirror again, and I couldn’t tell which the new tooth was this time either. I called Maria. “This is a miracle,” I  said.

She was happy for me.

I don’t spit anymore, and my slight lisp is gone. I don’t wince when I look in the mirror, something I don’t do that much except brush my teeth.

I don’t usually take photos of my teeth, but this was something I thought I ought to share on the blog. I have pledged to live an open and honest life, especially here on the blog.

The photo above is of my lower teeth. I took it tonight.

I don’t think anyone could tell the difference. I can’t.

This is one of those small miracles that make me appreciate science and technology for all of their flaws. I’m surprised that this matters so much, perhaps because I’m getting older. If not for medical technology, I’d be long dead.

If you care, the new tooth is the fourth from the left… I think. Thanks, Dr. Merryman, for making me whole again.