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52316Post-PandemicIn late 2023, about two weeks before her 74th birthday, Lynn broke a tooth while eating a whole-grain muffin. Surprisingly, the dental technician said it wasn%u2019t unusual%u2014people often damage a tooth while chewing on something soft. Because it was broken down into the root, the dentist recommended extracting it. It was a molar at the very back of her mouth, so he felt she%u2019d never miss it. And she never has. When we left the clinic, Lynn carried the two pieces home with her. The next day, I glued them together, and she installed the now-whole molar in her cactus garden.Surprisingly, about 6 months later, Lynn broke another tooth%u2014this time on something hard inside a whole-wheat bagel. When she spit the half-chewed mass onto her plate, she found a small piece of metal along with part of her tooth. The dentist said the damage wasn%u2019t as extensive this time, so he was able to repair the tooth by recreating the missing section with dental sculpting compound.Each of the two visits left Lynn somewhat dizzy from the chemical exposures in the dentist%u2019s office. It was primarily the artificial fragrances absorbed by the dental chair over the years, but also the Novocain she received each time, and the miscellaneous medical odors such places%u2014and the employees%u2014are often permeated with. Fortunately, she was able to get through the two visits better than she would have in the past, because her tolerance level had increased over the years. Still, it took her a few days after each visit before she was feeling 100% again. That%u2019s when she asked herself what breaking two teeth over such a short period of time meant.