A fight when he was only 15 had resulted in the permanent loss of four of Larry’s teeth. The missing teeth included one of his top front teeth and the three to its right. The gap in his teeth gave him a lisp and a whistle when he spoke. Biting and chewing food were difficult. Larry was embarrassed by how he looked. He stopped going out and never smiled to avoid having people he knew see the gap.
Modern dentistry was prepared to implant four new permanent teeth. Larry’s family had no dental insurance and their budget couldn’t handle the cost. Instead, Larry got a dental bridge. The price was much lower than implants and the completion time was only three days.
After the new bridge was installed, Larry went to a party at a friend’s house. “Hey, Larry, where have you been?” Jason, the host, asked.
“Just busy,” Larry said. He didn’t want to admit losing the fight along with four of his teeth. He didn’t want anyone to know he now had a bridge where his own teeth were supposed to be. Everyone treated him the same nice way he’d always been treated before his misfortune. They smiled at him and he smiled back.
Larry was happy with the bridge – for now. He knew it wouldn’t last forever. He’d already started saving to replace it with those expensive dental implants.
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