A couple of years ago, we went through the trauma of losing our family doctor and our dentist, both of whom we’d had for forty years! We had tried, without success, to convince them they couldn’t retire until we died, but since they were both close to our age, they had a different plan!

I did have a back-up plan for the dentist, however. One of our foster daughters and one of our grandchildren had a dentist in Greenville I sometimes took them to for appointments. Dr. M was so kind and gentle that I resolved that if my dentist in Sandy Lake ever retired, I would go to him. Then to my surprise, Dr. M. actually moved his office about three blocks from our house!

So when our dentist retired, I started going to Dr. M’s office for my regular exams. Since I’d switched to a toothpaste with Xylitol, I hadn’t needed any dental work for years; so I was surprised when the hygienist found a cavity between a filling and a tooth during my last exam. And I forgot, temporarily, that having dental work isn’t a simple process for me.

I made an appointment to have the cavity taken care of and started walking home. Suddenly I remembered the condition I have that can be triggered by dental work. I should have talked to Dr. M about it while I was there.

Because of this condition, I need to increase my small dose of the generic equivalent of Tegretol, a controlled substance, a week prior to my dental work. I hadn’t even had a visit with my latest PCP, my sixth since our family doctor retired, so he knew nothing about this condition (called the suicide disease because of the excruciating pain it causes) and my need to increase the Tegretol before dental work. What was I going to do?

Then I remembered that when I told the female Dr. M about how I came to be at their practice, I mentioned my former dentist’s name today. She said she’d heard that my retired dentist was practicing again. Could that possibly be true? He and his wife had talked me through my first attack of Trigeminal Neuralgia Type II while we were in Japan, and he knew about my special needs prior to dental work since returning from Japan.

I went home and called the practice that had once belonged to Dr. C and asked if it was true that Dr. C was practicing again. They said it was true and gave me an appointment.

Eventually, I called my new PCP’s nurse to explain why I was going to increase my Tegretol in the same way Dr. N. had always done. (Dr. N had been part of this practice before he retired.) She was very kind and assured me there wouldn’t be any problem.

The day finally came for my appointment with Dr. C. When he walked into the treatment room, I said, “So how did this happen? You just knew I needed you and so you came back to work?”

He smiled and said, “Pretty much! I’m here today for you and for one other person. I admit I wasn’t unhappy to see your name on my list—not that I wish you ill!”

The hygienist took x-rays and then Dr. C explained what the x-rays showed. The situation wasn’t as cut and dried as I’d thought from what the other dentist had told me, and I was SO very thankful I could discuss it with someone who had served our family for forty years!

As the process progressed, Dr. C. and I reminisced about some of the tricky dental conditions he’d helped us through and caught up on what was happening in his family and ours. At one point he said, “I’m not really working. This is my hobby, and I get to see my friends!”

Dr. C extracted one tooth and did a filling on the tooth next to it. I had no qualms because of my calm assurance that God was in control and had provided me with the person he had chosen to help me through this scary situation. And thankfully, the dental work didn’t trigger an attack.

As I thought about the way God had worked in this situation, having my current dentist tell me that my previous dentist was practicing again even before I knew I needed dental work, Isaiah 65:24 came to mind: “Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”

Even before I knew I was going to need Dr. C, my loving heavenly Father made sure I knew he was practicing again. As always, I stand amazed at His kind and loving ways!

Heavenly Father, knowing that even the hairs of my head are numbered, how can I doubt that you care about my teeth as well? Thank you for giving me the information I needed even before I knew I had a problem. Amen.