I would much rather it be a deer or a woodchuck than a rat. We had a nice rain a few hours ago, if it's deer, there may be tracks. I could throw a sheet over them tomorrow night to see if that makes a difference. I came across a site just now that had great solutions for specific animals in the garden. I will keep you posted if I catch this critter in the act or find out what works to stop it.

Ok, I'll tell my story, which is not pretty, but may, in some small way make you feel better Cliff, if only because it isn't your story. I had mine out in my early 20s, all four at once. All four impacted. The dentist had to cut each one into pieces to get it out. When they were done (it took a team), I was given codeine. I am very seriously sensitive to codeine. The dentist was told this. He didn't listen. So my mouth was so swelled up I couldn't really open it, and I was puking. Yep, out my nose. For days. Codeine is a sensitivity that gets worse each time you take it. That was my last time. It can screw with your stomach so that no amount of bread and milk will fix it. You just have to go empty, and starve for awhile, to get it out of your system. The dentist had one ray of sunshine for all of that agony. He said if I had been puking through my mouth, I might have infected the holes. Thanks doc. Next time, read the chart, that clearly says I will puke on codeine. Hope you're feeling better, or at least better than the kid who was puking through her nose did. :)

I have been wearing an EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) nightguard on the top jaw for about 18 months as several dentists said my tooth grinding was a problem - some of my molars have cracks in them. I got this nightguard at a chemist warehouse (I am in Australia) for $8. I have a small mouth, but cut it down with scissors to fit. After a few initial sleepless nights I got used to it and found it pretty comfortable. The trouble is that I have recently gradually developed extreme sensitivity in a number of teeth on my left side, and realised that the guard was hugging and covering the left back molars exactly where the pain was developing. I sleep on my right side so overnight my saliva would seep down to the right side of my mouth, and the left side was drying out, as I cannot easily keep my mouth completely closed while wearing the guard. I then realised that I could cut it down a lot smaller as it only needs to cover a few teeth in order to stop my top and bottom rows from touching. I also put some holes in the bottom of it with a skewer to allow my teeth to breathe. But it's like I've developed an allergy to the guard, because pretty much as soon as I put it in my mouth I feel intense pain, so I'm going to have to ditch it. Anyway, there seems to be so little info on the net about what mouth guards are - or should be - made from. I am going to try a really cheap silicone one next and cut it pretty small - luckily I don't move my mouth too much when I sleep, or I would be concerned about choking. And I'm going to make a serious effort to develop mindfulness around any inadvertent grinding I do during the day. Anyway, from my internet research it seems there are heaps of things you can do to make your teeth stronger - Google "remineralizing teeth". You can buy "tooth mousse" to lessen sensitivity, but I read an article on Ayurevedic medicine which said that one of the ingredients in yoghurt is the active ingredient in the mousse - funny, because I'd been craving yoghurt! For tooth health - not to mention everything else health - you need lots of leafy greens! It's better to make your own toothpaste and there are lots of good websites about teeth, like www.healingteethnaturally.com which is rabidly vegetarian, and www.curetoothdecay.com which is rabidly meat promoting. Also, a while ago I wrote an article about tooth health at: http://www.owningpink.com/blogs/owning-pink/biting-the-bullet-taking-the-road-less-travelled-tooth-related-health

I had braces two+ decades ago now, and still wear my retainer. It's only an upper one because they did a permanent on my lowers which is cemented to the back side of the front 4 (maybe 6? it stops after the lower incisors/canines)...As a result, my teeth are still perfectly straight after all this time. No cavities until I got my first, was 27 at the time. Only two additional ones and a chipped edge on the lower molar furthest back which the dentist did a crown on so that I wouldn't end up needing a root canal down the road. I got sick with various respiratory illnesses on what generally was an annual basis when I was a child, so the doctor would prescribe a round of antibiotics each time. This took care of the illness but also made my permanent teeth yellowed. Can't have everything work out perfectly. ;) The bleaching gel you use custom trays for, and only available through the dentist, those helped but using them too frequently causes me tooth sensitivity so that's something I do sparingly and just for maintenance. I may have spent my entire life before 2017 in SoCal, but I don't need blindingly white Hollywood teeth. No yellow corn kernels either. ;)