(see Part 1 here)

I am somewhat cautious while eating, but no one expects a metal bottle cap in their entree. I bit down reasonably hard on that San Pellegrino cap. After extracting the culprit, cursory examination of my teeth with my tongue appeared to indicate that all was well. I discussed with my dining companion what we thought the staff’s reaction might be. Our waitress had known me over 15 years – I assumed that, at the least, I would not be charged for my meal.

I called her over, showed her exhibit A, and she was mortified. She immediately swept the dish away and said that of course, the entree was coming off the check. As I left, more apologies followed me out the door. It was a good story and laughable incident really. Or so I thought.

However, soon after, while eating at home, I felt a small hard object in my mouth. My heart sank as it appeared to be a piece of tooth. A quick run of my tongue along the area where I had bit into the bottle cap quickly confirmed my worst fear: a piece of a tooth, which must have cracked against the metal cap, had now broken off. Unfortunately, I have enough experience to know that this will likely mean a crown (cap) and possibly more. I used to have anxiety over dental procedures – particularly doing crowns, root canals, etc. However, my only anxiety now, apart from losing natural teeth, is the time and cost of doing such things. Modern dentistry should be relatively painless, except for the impact on your pocketbook.

I visited the restaurant the next day, telling the waitress of my misfortune and that, unfortunately, it looked like we were talking MONEY. I asked if she thought the owner had insurance to cover such a thing. We exchanged numbers, she said she would contact the owner, and a few days later, the owner called. We discussed the incident. He contacted his insurance broker, who also called to arrange a meeting. I told him I had a dental appointment scheduled and suggested that we touch base after that. He agreed.

So, tomorrow morning I am off to the dentist to learn what the fate of my tooth will be. Beware the frequent restaurant goer in New York City – the more often you eat out, the more likely it is that you may find undesirable items in your food or drinks. I hope after these tales that you continue to see your meals as treasure hunts, not minefields, and that you find more pleasant ingredients than Caps and Floss 🙂