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Molar half gone, is there any hope?

J

Jacky32

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2013
Messages
35
I lost a filling a while back from my top molar, second one back. Today I was eating a sandwich and the whole inside half of my molar came off, there is just the outside part remaining now. Half of my tooth is gone. I know a lot depends on the condition of what remains and I'm afraid the filling was probably lost and the rest broke off because of decay. I'm probably going to lose it aren't I? I'm so terrified right now.

What do you think is going to happen? I know that's a tough question without actually examining the tooth but I've never lost one before and I'm really upset about it and dreading my appointment tomorrow. There is no pain really but I don't know if that makes any difference. This all feels like a bad dream and I wish I could wake up.
 
My lower molar had the same thing happen to it..the side fell off and everyday I was eating more and more filling..I had no pain either.That is what started my journy back to the dentist after soooo many years..The dentist took xrays and said it was decayed front and back but he could drill out the old filling, put in a new one and build the tooth back up and put a crown on it...So I'm going to go out on a limb and say yes it probably can be fixed..I chose to have mine extracted because it was a wisdom tooth and had been filled 2 x's already....I wanted it gone...So I went in knowing what to expect unlike you who is scared of what he will say..It will be okay....
 
As you mentioned, it's tough to say without looking at the tooth but all is not lost! Treatment can range from a build up and a crown to root canal treatment, post and core and a crown, depending on how much tooth is left. Best bet is to get it evaluated.
 
Thank you so much for your replies. I really hope you're right and it can be saved even though I know it will be very expensive, and if it has to be pulled I guess that is just the way it is and life will go on. I realize the worst part of this whole experience is probably going to be the fear and anxiety of what will happen, but I'm still dreading it so much. The fact that half of my tooth is gone at this moment is already freaking me out. I guess that is what I'll have to hold to, the fact that after tomorrow (hopefully) it will no longer be that way. It may be fixed or it may be gone, but I guess either would have to be better than the strange feeling of only having half a tooth there. I'm just afraid that it won't be done in one day and there will be repeated visits. I just want all of this over.

If it does have to be extracted I hope I don't have to be awake. I know they can numb it so I shouldn't feel any pain but even the sounds of it and knowing what is going on, I'm not sure I can cope. It terrifies me to think of it.
 
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I totally understand what you mean by the "sounds"...That is one of the things I hate about getting teeth done..My dentist warned me ahead of time that I would be hearing alot of sounds.I brought my MP3 player with me and cranked up my favorite music...(Christmas).. and it helped to muffle the sounds...I would have preferred I.V. sedation but my insurance doesn't cover it and it seemed like paying 250-300 for sedation for one tooth was extreme..So he explained everything in advance and then as we went along..If your dentist can restore it he will probably do what my dentist called a "crown prep" which was taking out the old filling, putting in the new filling,and putting on a temp crown. This was done in one appoinment. I am scheduled to get a permanent crown put on in February. I just had a wisdom tooth extracted last wednesday with just novacaine and the only sound I heard was a big "POP" when he removed the crown.After that I heard the drill and nothing else....So maybe two appoinments(the second one being just cementing on the crown, checking the bite, etc) and it's done...At least thats how it worked for mine...
 
Just to follow up I had my first appointment today and he said the reason the filling and tooth broke was due to decay under it. It had gone so long that now most of the remaining tooth is one giant cavity and while he said there was a slim chance it could be saved he didn't feel that was the best course of action. His recommendation was to have it pulled and later on if I feel I need to I can get an implant. He left it up to me so when I go back next week I guess I'll be having it removed. I really dread it, even though people say it is quick and painless.

He also said I have a cavity in each of my upper wisdom teeth. I had the lower ones out many years ago because they came in sideways and since the top ones are now kind of useless he said I might want to have them removed also, but he can fill them if I want. Also I have a bit of an alignment issue with my teeth that seems to come and go, near the back, and he thinks maybe the two remaining wisdom teeth might be crowding them. I haven't decided yet but if I can be put to sleep again like with my lower ones I might do that and see if I can have all three out in one go while I'm out cold. The lower ones required an oral surgeon though since they had not actually came in, so I'm guessing he would just want to pull them himself the normal way. Doesn't sound like much fun.
 
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So..I had my Molar filled in when I was about 14 or 15, I'm now 22. My Molar had already began to decay meaning it was falling apart and pieces of it were falling out I would eat some crispy bacon and a piece would come out. (pretty painful but not always) So Yesterday I was in college and I was eating some chips they were Pizza Pringles, And a sharp piece went right up into that tooth and broke it in half, I noticed right away that it was broken so I quickly went to the bathroom and began trying to pull the piece out, It was still connected to the route so it hurt a lot, I didn't come out. ( also i have not been to the dentist in over a good many years the last time I went I got surgery for my Impacted bottom wisdom teeth when I was 16 I believe) I finally pulled that half of the Molar tooth out with some tweezers because It was hurting me like crazy. (There was a lot of blood and I felt faintish because the sight of blood makes me feel weird)
Now there's a gaping hole but still a piece of tooth still there I'm seriously afraid of what will happen at the dentist. I'm hoping OW will cover it?
Any suggestions? I'm freaking out. (Also I'm a smoker but a very light one) So I can go without smoking for a bit. I just don't want to half to pay thousands of dollars just to get it fixed. :o
 
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