There's a silver lining in this story of my cracked crown, however

The new year isn’t exactly kicking off on a high note for me. At the end of last year, I headed to Schaumburg, Illinois, to spend Christmas with my family only for my dental crown to crack in half during the trip and decide to make an untimely exit from my mouth.

I wasn’t having pain or swelling, but the unease of a newly discovered hole in my mouth and half a crown in my hand while I was away from home freaked me out a bit. In a moment of panic, I dialed my dentist’s emergency line and also made a call to an emergency dentist near my hotel. My dentist quickly returned my call, though, and assured me I could wait until I got back to Florida to address the dental dilemma.

My journey to the Midwest also brought an unforeseen and unwelcome Christmas gift: a bout of COVID-19. Apart from the fever and discomfort, it also complicated my effort to address the missing crown because the dentist cancelled my emergency appointment. It took 10 days for my COVID-19 test to return negative.

Kudos for being prepared

The silver lining? Applause to my foresight in packing my medication for hemophilia B and von Willebrand disease. The peace of mind that came with having my medication on hand proved invaluable, particularly with the possibility of needing an emergency dental visit. Without it, the situation could have been unimaginable had a visit to the dentist become necessary.

I do sometimes travel without my medication. Remarkably, I’ve never thought of the possibility of a dental emergency as a reason to carry it. Traveling with hemophilia medication is no small feat, requiring a cooler bag with an ice pack for refrigeration. One challenge is to make sure the ice pack remains frozen solid to avoid any issues with airport security. My TSA precheck status usually smooths that process.

When I was younger, I never underwent treatment before a dental appointment. That changed when a jaw bleed resulted from an injection during a procedure, causing my jaw to temporarily lock up. Since that experience, I’ve adopted the practice of infusing my medications before a dental procedure that involves injections to prevent a repeat of such a frightening incident.

I finally did have my long-awaited visit to the dentist. I’m still not experiencing any pain or swelling, thankfully. The plan for addressing my missing crown entails a two-part treatment, with the first step involving a temporary crown. I eagerly anticipate the restoration of my mouth to its normal state. And I hope the rest of 2024 cuts me a bit more slack!