SLICE 2013 - 7 of 31 Happy Dental Day.

What a happy day!  

Six years ago my oldest and I found out she was missing an adult tooth.  I thought no big deal, I actually still had a baby tooth and still have it today.  My baby tooth is a molar and my grandmother had the same molar missing.  Missing teeth are passed down through genetics.  My oldest however wasn't so lucky to have a molar missing.  She is missing a front tooth and her dental journey has been a long one.  Our last big adventure was bone grafting a year and three months ago which was to lead to a dental implant surgery six months later.  Only that has been postponed for almost a year because her x-rays were showing her face was still growing.  We just got the go ahead two weeks ago for an implant surgery and today we had our consultation.  She is ready and eager with this next phase.  

Eager enough to ask if we could do it next week during an adjusted school schedule for Ohio Graduation Testing which puts most of the school on a half day schedule each day.  Her classes will be 18 minutes long.  Who thinks you can get anything done in 18 minutes?  This is our third year of this and I think there must be a better plan.  I teach elementary school and there is no way we would keep those not testing at home and miss instruction.  So, it seems like a good week to miss two days of school.  Our periodontal specialist also teaches at a local university and they are on spring break next week.  If he doesn't have to be at the university, then he will take that time and do our implant surgery.  If not, it is scheduled for April 19th on a Friday so she has the weekend to recover.  I'm so glad she can get going with this next phase.  It means a day of taking care of her.  Ice on and off every 20 minutes for the first 12 - 24 hours.  It might mean cooking special foods and maintaining her medicine schedule.  It means weeks and months of reminders about how to eat and what not to eat.  I will be needed and she will appreciate my care.  I'm sorry she has to endure this whole journey but know it's teaching her a lot of life lessons.  

Side note, my middle daughter is missing an adult tooth and it's the same one as my grandmother and I.  My youngest just found out she has all her teeth and the oldest doesn't see how any of this information is fair at all.  Like I said above, life lessons are being learned.  Life isn't fair and we do what we have to do to keep going with grace and bravery.