Well, last week started off in a wrong direction. My implant, front-and-center-on-the-bottom broke off.   I called and Dr E couldn't see me until the next day, but suffering through one day with my pharmacy temporary didn't seem like a huge matter.  I just worked in my office and stayed out of the public eye.  I expected the best when I arrived at the dentist's office the next day, and sure enough, he had the mold from the original tooth and said that getting a replacement would be no problem.  I was relieved to learn it would not involve gagging on that silly putty stuff that slides down your throat while the mold is making.  Doc said he'd order the good-as-new replacement that would arrive in about two weeks, and quickly made a temporary right there in the office.  Things were looking good for a quick exit until, after the temporary was formed.  After the temporary was set. And after the temporary was basically immoveable, he casually mentioned "it's a little shorter than the others . . . I . . . uhh . . . just didn't want it to break off . . .  yeah . . . that's it, I don't want it to break off, so I made it a little shorter . . . I made it shorter on pur. . . pose." 

A LITTLE shorter! When i got a mirror I saw just how much constitutes a 'LITTLE shorter" I was thinking gap-toothed, Carolina hillbilly (no offense). But then . . . I am prone to hyperbole (exxpecially when it comes to things that I can easily notice BECAUSE I KNOW RIGHT WHERE TO LOOK ).   And "on purpose!"  In my mind's eye he could have carved it into the shape of a fang and it would not have been more noticeable.  Who'd do that to another human being?  Even so, with all this self-talk, plus a sense of frustration and a huge desire to exit (who wants to stay in the dentist's office a minute longer than necessary), I figured I could live with it for a short time. I just have to avoid ssths so I don't accidentally whistle when I talk!