This conversation took place today, after I got home from the dentist.

Alys: Tooth, how are you holding up?
Tooth: Much better, now that we got some answers.
A: Yes, we did get some answers
T: Even though it was a very busy day at the dental office.
A: I’ll say. I had some long waits in that chair.
T: Fortunately you had a book with you.
A: Yes, an easy to read book.
T: Anyhow, the news.
A: The dentist put a two dimensional radiograph of my jaw up on the screen and explained what was going on. He said that the tooth in question, the one to be extracted, you, had previously had a root canal and this weakened the tooth.
T: And this is why I am now fractured?
A: Could be.
T: And the tooth that was previously pulled after it too fractured?

A: The dentist did not know, but he suspected that it too had a root canal.
T: You have a long and complicated dental history.
A: Yes I do. I would like to have all the dentists, alive and dead, in a room together and have each one talk about what their role in this history actually was.
T: That would be something. You’d have to sit there with your mouth open, so all us teeth could listen in.
A: As it is, this most likely won’t happen. I don’t even think that I’d now even be able to get all my records.
T: Most likely not.
A: Some of the dentists would be villains and some would be heroes.
T: So, you have to go with what you know.
A: That’s right. The word is that I don’t have to have you extracted immediately.
T: I caught this part. The infection will continue to drain and so there will not be any pain.
A: Right. But in time you are going to have to come out.
T: Unless I heal.
A: This is now up to you.
T: I would need an assist.
A: How so?
T: You need to continue to eat really well. And you need to continue to brush and floss three times a day. And you need to continue to do the mouth rinses.
A: But there are no guarantees that you’ll heal.
T: Nope. Like the dentist said, the fracture is the length of me. That’s significant.
A: What do you think about my getting two implants, one to replace you and one to replace the other extracted tooth?
T: I don’t want to go there yet. I guess I’ll weigh in when the time comes.
A: Tough decisions for me.
T: Tough for you? How would you like to be me, with your life hanging in the balance?
A: I am you and you are me.
T: And let’s not forget about others in this crew.
A: We are all connected.
T: That’s right – by muscle, bone, nerves, and roots.
A: Well, let’s continue to enjoy being in one another’s company.
T: Amen to this.
A: And amen to that.

Next: 348. 12/1418: Rapport