S
sunnylikesunshine90
Member
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2016
- Messages
- 80
- Location
- Central IL, USA
My upper back molar has a giant hole in it due to breakage from decay (I'm missing teeth so the number would be off, but I believe it to be either #15 or 16, probably 16). This tooth had never totally erupted - It had emerged from the gum, but the back was never far outside of the gumline, even before this. It had had a large cavity for some time, but my dentist was prioritizing other work before this specific tooth. Well, now we've waited too long and there is a big ole' hole.
It hadn't caused any pain for a few weeks (I've been dealing with other health issues that are still taking the front seat, so to speak) - but just a few hours ago, I was enjoying one of those little dum-dum lollipops and the sucker slid into the hole in my tooth and WOWZA! It didn't hurt for long and stopped as soon as I removed the lollipop, but it sure got my attention!
I know that a filling would probably fail as it's a large hole in a biting tooth - and I'm not an candidate for implants due to clinching/grinding as well as some other health issues. I'd like to avoid the whole "root canal-followed-by-a-crown" thing as financially, I'm too strapped for cash to spend THAT much on a tooth that may wind up failing anyway (I heard that teeth broken near the gumline tend to fail more than other crowns/RCT). Extraction is looking like my best, most cost effective option.
Here's the deal: I've been told several times by the staff at this office that I apparently have a small mouth. It is difficult if not nearly impossible to get the x-ray things back far enough in my mouth to get a picture of this tooth. If it's that hard for them to get x-rays of that tooth, how in the world would they be able to pull the tooth without damaging the tooth next to it?? Would they just refer me to an oral surgeon?
It hadn't caused any pain for a few weeks (I've been dealing with other health issues that are still taking the front seat, so to speak) - but just a few hours ago, I was enjoying one of those little dum-dum lollipops and the sucker slid into the hole in my tooth and WOWZA! It didn't hurt for long and stopped as soon as I removed the lollipop, but it sure got my attention!
I know that a filling would probably fail as it's a large hole in a biting tooth - and I'm not an candidate for implants due to clinching/grinding as well as some other health issues. I'd like to avoid the whole "root canal-followed-by-a-crown" thing as financially, I'm too strapped for cash to spend THAT much on a tooth that may wind up failing anyway (I heard that teeth broken near the gumline tend to fail more than other crowns/RCT). Extraction is looking like my best, most cost effective option.
Here's the deal: I've been told several times by the staff at this office that I apparently have a small mouth. It is difficult if not nearly impossible to get the x-ray things back far enough in my mouth to get a picture of this tooth. If it's that hard for them to get x-rays of that tooth, how in the world would they be able to pull the tooth without damaging the tooth next to it?? Would they just refer me to an oral surgeon?
