A Tooth Story
It is natures law
that things happen in a proper cycle in perfect harmony . When things happen at
proper time, they are easy , meaningful and adds value in your life. But when
something happens out of the order what unpleasant experience it can bring to you.
I learned this just few weeks back. Today I am going to share with you my story
when I lost my baby tooth at the age of 30+ just few weeks back.
Now you might be
wondering, what? Did I hear it right? Baby tooth at the age of 30? Yes my
fellow toastmasters. All these years I am walking with one small , yellowish baby tooth at the upper jaw
right at the left side near the front two teeth. In my first visit to Dentist after I came to
United State, my dentist showed me tiny
thing in the grey and white sheet and astonishingly asked me - do you know that
you have a baby teeth hanging in here? Surprisingly and somewhat embarrassingly
I said NO. Now let me tell you honestly
how health and dental checkup culture in India where I grow up. We do not visit
Doctors and dentists unless it is
absolutely necessary. So, as far as I
remember I never visited any dentist in my whole life in India , since I was
normal and healthy child. Now after
moving to united states, as I was paying for dental insurance I decided to
visit dentist and in my first visit to dentist revealed the secret of my tiny baby tooth.
Since it did not
give me any trouble and functioning normal , I decided to not pull it out and
live with it until it itself decided to fall off. Since then last 15 years , I
was living with this tiny tooth somewhat as a treasure and as a token of memories of my childhood.
Over the years my tiny friend still hung in there in my mouth sustaining wear
and tear and taking a toll after 2 pregnancies. I always imagined it might fall
off when I play with my kids or accidently till on something. But never
imagined it will happen in a way it happened
2 weeks back.
Two weeks back, I
was attending 2 days' workshop with my
peer teams for a new project. On the second day, sandwiches were being served for lunchtime and in a
conference room, I was enjoying my sandwich with thick Sardou
bread and roasted tomatoes,
onions , lettuce and cheese. Suddenly I felt
something hard , stony
in my bite. I had no idea how come something like that have come in my
sandwich. After 2 confusing seconds, my brain gave me the clear signal of what
that hard, stony thing actually was. It was my beloved tiny friend after so
many loyal years decided to say his goodbye.
I was not more sadden from the thought that it decided to say me goodbye
after so many years but the time and place he has chosen to part away from me
was the most inappropriate. I was in the conference room, surrounded by
important people in the middle of conversation. I cannot imagine how to sit
there finishing the work sitting there
uncomfortably trying to hide the big hole in my mouth.
Now that was just
the tip of the iceberg and the start of
the ongoing ordeal. After finishing my important meeting I rushed to dentist.
She examined my xrays and said I have a permanent
teeth buried inside the gums which can be pulled out slowly into its proper
place. Now that could be long process from a year to 2 years and second faster
approach around 6 months to a year is to
just pull out the permeant tooth and do an implant. For my non-medical brain,
both the options looked equally painful, horrible and torturing and not to
mention really heavy for my pocket. Looking at the mirror at myself with a hole
while I smile, I was thinking is it a comedy or tragedy, should I cry or laugh
at myself. My dentist put some chewy material in my mouth to take impression of
the teeth. She ordered me the removable denture which could arrive in couple of
days so at least I don't have to walk around with the hole in my mouth.
Now at home, in the
evening when my kids came to know momma lost her tooth, they became super
excited. My 5 years old asked me, so Mamma are you going to keep your tooth
under pillow? Is tooth fairy going to visit us today? They did not know that when gown up loose the
tooth at inappropriate age , she have to visit tooth fairy and pay her hefty amount and who is that expensive tooth
fairy, my dentist !!
After 2 days before
the weekend thankfully my removable denture arrived and I felt some relief. Now
let me tell you adjusting with that denture is another horrifying experience.
It was some foreign body is my mouth touching the roof of my pallet , making me
very uncomfortable. With that thing
stuck in my mouth, I could not speak properly, could not eat properly. I had
and still have trouble speaking certain words like S. My dentist
suggested I can practice reading out loud. So, 2 days I sat down with my kids,
reading them stories loudly , having a good laugh !!!
I have couple of orthodontist appointment lined up
to consult what are my options and considering all the viable factors I have to
start the long, strenuous, expensive dental process , I cannot afford to walk
around with the missing teeth. However, this incident taught me one aspect of
the life- When things go wrong , fix them then and there, without waiting. If
this tooth mystery was identified when I was still a kid or teenager, the
treatment was much easier, less painful and less expensive. Right time is very crucial, when right time slips by then it takes more
trouble mending the mistakes, problems. I have kept my tiny friend in treasure
box who reminds me this every now and then.
