The word of the day for April 17, 2007 is “coelenterate” — noun : any of a phylum (Cnidaria syn.Coelenterata) of radially symmetrical invertebrate animals including the corals, sea anemones, jellyfishes, and hydroids—called also cnidarian.
The periodontist had his way with me this morning. By that I mean that Dr. Squire put a slurry of bone and synthetic material into a pocket between my jaw and gum to reconstruct the bone lost when my eyetooth was removed. Until three years ago, my upper right canine tooth was the original one. The permanent tooth fused itself to the bone, refusing to budge for love or money. So, Dr. Alley (he’s Kirstie Alley’s ex-brother-in-law) chipped out the tooth. Now I am having to replace the jawbone so I can have a new tooth implanted. I could have chosen a permanent bridge or a single tooth partial plate, but they would have been more cosmetic than anything.
I’m not the sort to wear jewelry of any sort. I have to reopen the piercings in my ears each time I take it into my head to wear earrings for a day. So, I am not going to let them implant a saber-toothed or vampire fang or bling. Oh, but that would be fun you say—maybe emeralds or some such. My contention is that would be as silly as the grillz that people are getting for their teeth. I’ll stick with something that looks like I could have grown it myself starting with this shipwreck under my lip to grow the reef on which to build my tooth.
The quote for today is from William Shakespeare, Ariel’s song from TheTempest:
Full fathom five thy father lies.
Of his bones are corals made.
Those are pearls that were his eyes.
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea nymph hourly ring his knell.
Hark, now I hear them, ding dong bell.
;^) Jan
1 comment:
I had to loose my right canine tooth prior to my chemo Jan, but I had the dentist make me a single plate to replace it almost a year later. I would have liked to have been able to afford an implant but just this single tooth plate cost me £180.00 About, (I'm guessing here, 360dollars?) The canny Scot in me just refused to think about paying that amount for a tooth.
I hope you didn't suffer any pain? It sounds really excrutiating.
Like you I can forget to put earings back in again once I have taken them out.
Perhaps I might look for some "coelenterate" shaped ones next time I visit a seaside jewellers. They would remind me of this word at least. Nice sounding and interesting word today Jan. Jeanie
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