Any chance of saving this tooth?

[alexuk]

Hi All,

First of all thanks to all for contributing to such great forum and helping people like myself stand up to dental treatment and not run away from fears. This is my first post so would like to introduce myself briefly.

To cut the story short:

Aged 28 from the UK. Been a needle phobe from day one as a tot and avoided needles and jabs at all cost. Had a botched jab as a child in hospital while trying to put me to sleep for a minor op. Horrified of this ordeal ever since. Always been scared of the dentist and dentist chair. Dentists wearing masks reminds me of the surgeons injecting me when was young at hospital so my heart always pounds at the sight and smell of dentist, injections syringes and needles. I thought I would of grown out of it but still petrified and never been to dentist.

So now Im at: 2 decayed wisdom teeth to the gumline (no pain tho). 1 decayed premolar (to the gumline) with abscess (no pain).

The tooth im asking a question about is my upper front tooth. It is about 50% decayed at the side. Tooth is not straight, it has grown at an angle (panned not tilted) and the decay is getting worst. I have a whopping great big abscess now that feels like a grape under my gum. I am on anti-biotics until this goes down (i got antibiotics from left overs from last infection).

Now if I visit the dentist (which im petrified of) will the dentist pull the tooth or opt for a root canal. Both methods petrify me. I have attached a pic of the tooth for any opinions.



I dont know how I will get in the dentist chair as im so scared but I guess i need to do something. The though of IV sedation makes me feel even more scared as I hate needles.

I dont know what to do or how to over come this?

Any opinions?

Thank you so much for having a look, do you reckon the tooth can be saved or is it past that point now?

Thank you again.

 

[carole]

Hi and welcome to the forum

I know you don't want to hear this but only a dentist that can have a look at the tooth and possibly take an x ray can say what it needs. It might be that it can be built up an not need either a root canal or taking out.

If you find a dentist that will listen to you and understand how afraid you are you will be able to work with them and get your teeth seen to.

The injections don't hurt these days, they have a gel called topical that they can rub on the gum before injecting. If they do the injection really slowly it does not hurt. A caring dentist will work at a pace that you can cope with and they tell you what they think you need doing, YOU decide what you want doing if anything. A first appointment is usually a look at your teeth without the pointy tool (probe) if you ask them not to use it. Also they usually take an x ray, this also can be done later.

I hope you manage to start and look at possible dentists to visit, but you will do it when you feel ready to do it. Sooner would be better than later, it would be a shame to lose the tooth or any other if they could be saved.

Good luck

 

[Gordon]

That tooth looks fairly salvageable at this stage, but the clock is ticking for it, if the decay gets much further down below the gumline then it won't be fixable.

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Hi,
It seems the tooth can be saved.
There are methods to over come the needle phobia. It depends on what is the phobia exactly about.