I haven't mentioned it before, but I have had dental implants and one of them was to replace my front upper teeth -- knocked out when my brother managed to stop the bike I was riding and I hit the street teeth first.

Anyway, after many years I had implants put in. And they're great! Until we went to the last (and closing this year) sugar plantation in Hawai'i and I gently held a piece of raw sugarcane with my front teeth, gently tasting the juice.

To make it short, that front bridge broke clear through the metal the "teeth" are mounted upon. I go in Monday to have the damage cleared away and a temporary bridge installed. Two weeks later the new one should be in place.

How much is this going to cost, you ask? Well, the exam to discover it was USD 62.00. The new bridge, labor, materials and all, is under warranty and it won't cost my anything. The dentist was surprised, saying that in seventeen years this was only the third time he'd ever seen this happen.

But the replacement price is right. Maybe that's a sign things are looking up a bit.