Extreme fear and don’t know what option to choose

[Ellery]

Hello everyone. I’m new here and had some questions.

I hadn’t gone to a dentist in over 10 years since I’m very afraid. I also have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), pretty severe anxiety and suffer from panic attacks, and struggle with agoraphobia and don’t like to leave my house.

Anyway, my tooth broke in October of 2021 and I let it go until I started to feel some pain around February. I still feel some pain but it’s not too much. I eventually did go to a consultation with a dentist at the end of March and did not like him. I went to a few others and have not found a dentist I like as no one seems compassionate or understanding to my concerns and worries but I have set an appointment with one for June 16th. I will be doing oral sedation which is my first time experiencing that and I’m kind of nervous about how it will go.

The other thing I’m nervous about is that he says he will do a pulpotomy to help with the pain and then I have to eventually have a root canal if I want to save the tooth, which I do. However, I also really don’t want a crown though and I’m having trouble with the idea of that. I would like to do an onlay after the root canal which I’ve read is possible but everyone is just pushing the crown. I think it might be because of my OCD but the idea of a permanent change like losing my tooth forever and having a fake tooth put over it is incredibly upsetting to me. I feel like the onlay wouldn’t upset me as much because I’d still be able to see some of my tooth and it won’t have to be shaved down like it would for a crown.

I was wondering if it really is possible to do the onlay after the root canal and also if anyone had any experience or thoughts about the pulpotomy. I have read they can last for a long time sometimes and wonder if I could just do the pulpotomy and leave it like that for years?

If not, I’m just wondering if the pulpotomy would ruin the tooth structure at all and make it less likely I can have the onlay after. Would it be better to not do anything with the tooth and look around more for someone who could possibly do an onlay?

I’m very nervous and would greatly appreciate any help as I really don’t know what to do.

Thank you.

P.S. I attached x-rays I just had done last month as well as photos of the broken tooth (sorry the quality isn’t the best).

 

[Gordon]

The trouble with doing an onlay in this case is that it won't restore the strength of the inner and outer "walls" of the tooth the way a crown would, so there's still a chance of the tooth fracturing after the root canal.
Could you live with a crown if it was finished a bit short of the gum level and so you could still see tooth between the crown and gum?

 

[Ellery]

@Gordon
Thank you so much for your response! I didn’t know that could be an option. I might feel a little better if I could do that but I don’t know if I could find someone who would do it.

Do you think I could put off the pulpotomy until I could find someone else or am I risking actually losing my tooth? I’d be even more distraught, if that’s possible, if I really lose the tooth. But idk if the pulpotomy will last while I try to find someone I like better and who’d do something like what you’re saying.

Thank you again for the response though. I do appreciate it. I just feel so overwhelmed and distressed by all of this. It’s so many appointments and just to get to an end result of something I don’t want and am upset by. I wish I could just keep my tooth.

 

[Gordon]

Can't predict the future but I think it could hold off for a few weeks or even a couple of months, if things got worse you'd get enough warning to get to the dentist.

 

[Ellery]

@Gordon Thank you for the response. I know nothing is a guarantee which makes everything more overwhelming but I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know your opinion.