All I want for Christmas are my four front teeth. Okay, really, I want a house, a dog, and space for horses. (Wait, sorry, goal list, not wish list!) I saw the dentist in October when he diagnosed an infection in one of my upper front teeth. I couldn’t feel it. It turned out when the periodontist examined it, the nerve to the tooth had died.

I considered that a blessing.

Back before my wisdom teeth were removed, I had one come in only halfway, leaving a space that became infected three times before I finally had them all removed.

The periodontist put a temporary crown on the infected tooth. The dentist also felt my other three top front teeth were in bad enough shape that crowns were warranted. A few weeks later, all four teeth received new temporary crowns.

Thanks, kids! Pregnancy is hard on dental health. Also, the worst tooth was already 50 percent filling, due to an unfortunate incident with a glass soda bottle and a heavy swinging door years ago. That poor tooth was more dental filling than real. The dentist had to reinforce that one with a “post” to support the new temporary crown.

Then came the really bad news. The temporary crowns would have to stay on for a month. Initially, I was supposed to have the permanent crowns two weeks sooner. But there was a scheduling conflict. On one hand, I saved a half-day absence from work. But on the other hand, I wished they could be done much sooner

I was warned not to bite with the temporary crowns. So chewing food became a challenge. I apologized to my hostess on Thanksgiving for not being social to an extreme. I am an introvert most days. On Thanksgiving, I claimed a couch spot away from the main festivities, so I could cut my food into tiny pieces and struggle with awkwardly chewing fairly unobserved.

A week later, the gums at my front teeth started bleeding whenever I brushed them. It took several rinses to remove most of the blood. The dentist said this was normal. Maybe so, but it was not healthy for my sense of well-being, or my vanity.

The permanent crowns were scheduled to be put on just before Christmas. As I have said before, waiting isn’t ever easy. It really isn’t fun trying to chew. I’ve taken to having cereal with berries for dinner, because milk softened cereal is easy to chew. Still, hopefully by the time you read this, the permanent crowns will be in.

Whatever you are wishing for this Christmas, I hope it comes to you. As you are able, please share gifts with others. Have a very wonderful holiday season!