Part 1…Our dental work…My first long dental appointment Is behind me, and I have temporary teeth!…

My all-day appointment with Dr. Singh yesterday ended up lasting only 3 1/2 hours when he suggested we do only my upper teeth and save the lower teeth for my next appointment within the next two weeks. Although I was pleased to finish sooner than expected, I still had a lot of dental work done in those few hours!

Many may ask, “Why was I getting veneers when my teeth looked okay, especially at my age?” There was one big reason. My old crowns, many of which I’d had for 40 years or more, had started breaking while I was eating. I had even begun having nightmares about my teeth falling out! Most of my molars had crowns, and over the next several years I faced one dental appointment after another to keep everything in working order. With our lifestyle of world travel, that just wasn’t practical.

Plus, I had resin veneers placed several years ago because my front teeth were uneven. Those veneers were also wearing down on both the upper and lower teeth. If I had repaired each problem individually, there would be no guarantee I wouldn’t run into more dental issues in the future, and the cost would be prohibitive.

My gums are healthy, and I didn’t have any cavities, but I did have some broken back teeth. After discussing my options, it made more sense to get a new full mouth of porcelain veneers that would address these issues in three or four appointments. No, 24 new porcelain veneers aren’t inexpensive, even here in South Africa, but the cost is about 25% of what it would be in the US. Once everything is complete, I’ll total all the bills and share the grand total with you all here.

Today, I’m sharing a photo of the temporary acrylic teeth I got yesterday. These will have to do until my new porcelain veneers are ready in about two weeks. I must admit that although I like how the temporary teeth look and how much they resemble the finished product, wearing these clunky plastic teeth is awful! As Dr. Singh explained, the plastic can only be fine-tuned so much before they break. Consequently, there are some rough edges on the inside that are annoying. Once placed, the permanent porcelain veneers should be comfortable and smooth.

In the meantime, I have to eat soft foods for the next two weeks and continue for a total of six weeks, until both my upper and lower teeth have settled. As a ketovore, meaning I eat a combination of keto and carnivore foods, my choices are limited. Dr. Singh suggested finely chopped ground beef (called mince here) and eggs, which I already eat often. I can also have plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, and melt hard cheese into my scrambled eggs. I can manage that!

However, things could get interesting when Colleen and Paulette arrive in nine days. I’ll cook regular meals three nights a week while we dine out four nights a week, and I won’t be able to eat the same foods they will enjoy. Nonetheless, I’ll still prepare wonderful meals for them and Tom. Yesterday, Dawn and I exchanged texts, and she kindly offered to have the cooks at Jabula prepare meals suitable for me.

Last night, at Quiz Night at Giraffe, I ordered cooked ground beef without oil and four fried eggs. I asked the chef to use the little packets of real butter they had available. My dinner was filling and tasted fine. As an aside, our team finished in the middle of the pack, and we were happy with that!

So, what did Dr. Singh actually do to prepare my upper teeth for the temporary and eventual permanent veneers? He spent 3 1/2 hours drilling down my teeth to prepare them. He also removed every crown and every filling in my upper teeth. I sat in that dental chair for a long time while he and his competent assistant worked on my mouth. During the final hour, they fitted and placed the temporary teeth, with plenty of warnings about how delicate they are.

If one of these temporary teeth falls out, we’ll have to make that long, awful drive to Malalane. The road has countless fast trucks, scary passing lanes, and multiple construction stops. Each way, it took us well over an hour to travel 40 km (25 miles) through stressful traffic. With Tom seeing out of only one eye, the drive was even more stressful.

Next Tuesday is Tom’s second eye surgery, which means another drive to Nelspruit, 96 km (60 miles) away, along that same awful highway. We’ll stay overnight and return to Marloth Park on Wednesday.

Gosh, this is a lot to deal with at once, but we’re holding up well. We keep reminding ourselves that these procedures are necessary, and we’re doing our best to get through everything one day at a time.

Tomorrow, I will share a photo of Tom with his temporary four bottom teeth and reasons why he had to have those teeth pulled and replaced.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 21, 2016: