My most harrowing dental story involved gum surgery, which I will skip telling about, but I did lose a good chunk of a molar last year. I was at a reception at work and bit down on a piece of cheese that unexpectedly turned crunchy. I discovered when I pulled it out of my mouth that I was crunching a good chunk of a back molar.

My beloved dentist saw me on his lunch hour the next day to plaster the hole with some sort of miraculous substance that is hardened by ultraviolet light. I am very lucky that I don’t have your problems with opening my mouth, Ev. But it is interesting how long it takes to get used to a new sensation back there. I’m still not used to it. The replacement works fine, no pain at all, but it just doesn’t feel like a real tooth when I run my tongue over it. So naturally I do that several times a day!