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A Not-So-Happy ending and LISTEN to your dentist!!

L

leela

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
172
Location
Canada
Hi everyone,

I haven't posted in a long time due to some other things going on in my life, but thought I would come on with an update.

Just to recap, back in January I cracked a tooth - but at the time while the dentist was suspicious of that, there was no way to confirm it. To make a long story somewhat shorter, I had the tooth filled, but was still in pain. I had a root canal done on the tooth - still in pain. I had a temporary crown put on the tooth - still in pain. We went ahead and did the permanent crown about 2 weeks ago, and I'm still in pain. After about a million dental visits and $4000, it looks like that tooth is going to have to be pulled.

Back in January during a cleaning I told my dentist about the symptoms I was having in that tooth, and she wanted to replace the very old (20 years) and very large filling in it. I was too scared to let her do this, so I booked an appt. for a month later which I cancelled. This was the DUMBEST thing I could have done. Had I let her fill the tooth when the crack was small, it probably would have fixed it, and I wouldn't have had to go through almost 7 months of dental appts and $4000 which didn't work.

Because of my fear, I am going to lose a tooth, and this never should have happened. Thankfully it's the second last molar in the back. I don't know what I'm going to do about it, I can't even think about that yet.

She said I could just keep the crown on for as long as I can, but sooner or later it will start to cause me enough pain that I will have to remove the tooth.

I have 3 more big fillings that are also 20 years old that she wants to replace so that these teeth don't suffer the same fate, and believe me, this time I am listening to her. That appt. is scheduled for 2 weeks from now.

So the moral of this story is listen to your dentist, and just get in there and get the dental work done. I know it's horrible, if you read the first thread I ever posted you'll see how scared I was. I still am, but my dental health is more important to me now and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure this never happens again.
 
Hi Leela and welcome back. I'm sorry to hear what brings you back but good for you for your outlook of greater self-power--turning something negative into a positive message for others.

Your posting this has great timing because I sure second everything you said. Fight whatever fear/dental demons you might have and take the time to find a dentist who you truly feel comfortable with and trusting of and so many potential small and big problems will be prevented or caught early. Waiting as I sure learned myself only festers procrastination and/or "forgetting" to book an appointment along with (usually) increased fear of something that might not even be a big deal to begin with.

In my case, if I had a time machine I would use it to go back three years, have the courage and lol in retrospect intelligence to simply ask my foremer dentist if there wasn't a way to make the LA shot not hurt. Heck I even had opportunities to ask her partner (my current dentist) this question. She or he would have told me of the numbing gel and my "tiny" cavity could have been taken care of so very easily. In my mind back then he simply was not her and he would have also meant that dreaded LA shot.

Instead, I allowed it to grow for 3 years and you guys know the rest of that choice. :/ RCT/Permanent Crown (Both very expensive especially with no insurance) and now, over the last month, dealings with TMJ. All of this could have so easily been prevented by a simple question to a dentist I once claimed to feel a bond with.

Find that dentist who is right for you and it truly can make all the difference in the world.

Mona
 
hey Leela
oh I cant believe it after all the work you had you've been so brave too !! Im glad to hear yr getting the other work done quickly though at least then you can rest assured no more teeth will suffer the same fate !!
The thing now is you will be forever worrying about that tooth but you have a really nice dentist and im sure when the time comes you will do just great its just a pity you had to have all that treatment and none of it really helped !!
Yr not alone in putting off things though everyone on here will understand that its easier to hide from the dentist when yr scared than to confront yr fear and like you said the best thing you have is that now you have taken action straight away with the other teeth and I know you wont be missing the next appointment !!!
Hope you can finally get everything sorted !!
Love and hugs
Emma:XXLhug:
 
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