As a young girl, I had many problems with my teeth. When I was seventeen a front tooth became abscessed. The dentist assured me a root-canal procedure would save the tooth, but it didn't. The tooth was ultimately pulled. During the next two years, three more top teeth were removed because of the same problem. I struggled with constant pain. In desperation and great fear, I consented to have all my top teeth removed and replaced with a full denture.
During my adult years, I essentially followed good dental hygiene to avoid visiting the dentist as much as possible. However, dental problems persisted. Then five years ago, a bottom eye tooth showed all the signs of an abscess. The painful experience of my younger days flashed into thought. I felt like the woman in the Bible who "had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse" (Mark 5:26).
At the time this occurred, I had been praying to be more seriously committed to the practice of Christian Science. A Christian Scientist places radical reliance on Truth alone for healing, and I wanted my life to represent this radical reliance fully. Suddenly, I knew I was ready and willing to be healed in Christian Science. A deep desire welled up within me to turn wholeheartedly to God, Truth.
