Teeth

     I had dental surgery on Friday. This was something I had been avoiding for years, even though I didn't know all the details. Every dentist I would visit would simply say, "You should probably see a periodontist." And, of course, when I saw a periodontist, he told me I needed surgery. It didn't involve general anesthesia, but it did use lasers and many, many shots of Novocaine.
     On one hand, I'm grateful for this. I recently learned that my grandmother had dentures for a large part of her adult life, and that's a fate I'd like to avoid. Having teeth is a great convenience, and I'd like to keep them.
     On the other hand (and here I'll just admit that I'm complaining), I didn't know what I was getting into. The actual surgery was quite unpleasant -  I discovered that laughing gas, contrary to its name, makes me cry and shake. I'm eating soft foods for the next two weeks, so I guess this will take care of all that extra applesauce I have in the freezer.