Dentist office called to schedule postponed crown prep

[MountainMama]

Okay, I am terrified. My dentists office called today to schedule the crown prep that was canceled due to covid 19. Our state is still on stay at home orders and non essential businesses are closed but the governor has allowed dentists to open and hospitals to do elective surgery again.
I am going in Monday for my implant crown follow up, and the receptionist asked if I wanted to do it then. I immediately said no, because I can’t deal with it right now. She said that the dentist is going to go ahead and take his 4 month vacation that he had planned, so he won’t be here after May 8. He is taking off until late September.
So I told her I would discuss it with him on Monday. I know I have to get it done but I am petrified. I HATE the crown prep process...the smell, the sound and the vibration. It is a two hour appointment.
I am just mentally done with dental work right now.

 

[Sevena]

Hey MountainMama!

Will you be able to see any other dentist at the practice while yours is on vacation? Though I know it can be worse to see a dentist you have no rapport with. You certainly are in tough spot. That said, you yourself know best what you do or don't have the mental energy to deal with. If you are somewhat okay with getting the prep from another dentist, perhaps that would be best?

The timing really sucks, and the covid situation has really thrown everyone's routines into whack. It's so hard. Remember to take care of yourself. Your teeth are important, of course, but so is mental health!

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Mountainmama,

I hope you may get a greater peace about the crown prep maybe after talking to the dentist about it and your concernes.. maybe you will feel better about it and go ahead. or just get a peace to wait and take it a step at a time. Right now is such a stressful time, it makes sense to do what is right for your mental health as well as your dental health.. hope you get that peace and direction at your appt. and that all goes well!

 

[MountainMama]

Hey MountainMama!

Will you be able to see any other dentist at the practice while yours is on vacation? Though I know it can be worse to see a dentist you have no rapport with. You certainly are in tough spot. That said, you yourself know best what you do or don't have the mental energy to deal with. If you are somewhat okay with getting the prep from another dentist, perhaps that would be best?

The timing really sucks, and the covid situation has really thrown everyone's routines into whack. It's so hard. Remember to take care of yourself. Your teeth are important, of course, but so is mental health!

There is another dentist in the practice but he is new and I have only seen him once. He was very brusque and talked to the hygienist and not me. If my dentist does the prep before he leaves, and anything goes wrong, the new dentist will have to take care of it.
Another issue is that if the nerve starts dying like with the other ones, I may not get into the oral surgeon right away since there will be a backlog.

 

[AshNaz]

I can totally understand your frustration and concern. I am not sure that there is a clear answer and I am sure that you are already doing this, but maybe think about the pros/cons of going or not going and seeing where you last with the least amount of discomfort. If you think the tooth can last until Sep then maybe that is the best option, but if you are having pain now such that the crown is more imminent, then you could go forward and have a conversation with your current dentist and the new dentist so that they both know what your needs are. Given what I have been through recently - I am more confident in being clear with my medical/dental providers about what I need and asking questions when I dont understand something.

 

[MountainMama]

So it still isn’t scheduled. I brought up that I have been having sensitivity in random teeth and asked about neuralgia, since the teeth that have been hurting/sensitive have had no work done. He is referring me to my oral surgeon to ask him about neuralgia. He said it did not sound like trigeminal neuralgia but that something was definitely odd. He doesn’t want to proceed with the crown prep until he finds out what the oral surgeon says. He said he can do the crown prep in 3 or 4 months or if it starts bothering me again, the other dentist in the practice can do it.

 

[Sevena]

That's a lot of agonising waiting! But on the plus side, it sounds like the dentist is trying to be very thorough and careful. And that's very responsible - a dentist you can trust.