The Dental Work Diet

As a young child I fell and chipped my front two teeth. The damage wasn't significant enough to do anything, but as a young adult I had porcelain veneers applied. Later, when the veneer needed to be replaced I switched over to crowns.

I've taken good care of my teeth, but age is catching up with them. Recently I noticed that the gum line of the crowned teeth had receded enough that there was an unattractive gap at the top. I figured insurance would call any type of work in that area cosmetic, but my dentist disagreed. 

She took x-rays and sent them off to the insurance company for a predetermination. Several months later I found out the work was considered restorative and would be covered up to the policy limits. New crowns awaited!

Two Fridays ago I had an appointment to have the preliminary work done. I left with a temporary crown. This Friday I have a second appointment to have the permanent crown set in place. As I left the office, the assistant told me not to floss the area or bite into things.

I didn't realize how often I bite into things when I'm eating. Now, instead of chomping down onto food I have to cut or break it up into small pieces before wedging them into the back part of my mouth.

The process is annoying, but there's also an interesting side benefit. At the holiday parties I've attended, instead of a loaded plate of appetizers that I thoughtlessly eat while chatting with friends I've carefully selected items. A Ritz cracker can be broken into four pieces, with each topped with a dab of cheese ball. The result takes longer to prepare and longer to eat. (All the taste, fewer calories.) A Two-Bite brownie, whose name I usually take literally, tastes even better when divided into smaller chunks and savored one at a time. The same with deviled eggs and cocktail meatballs.

However, there are only a couple more days until I can go back to having foods that need to be bitten into... sandwiches, pizza, chicken wings, cookies, and fruit like apples and pears. I can't wait.

Five years ago: White As Snow