G
Getting Anxious
Member
- Joined
- May 2, 2019
- Messages
- 48
- Location
- New York
Maybe if I write this all down it will alleviate some of my anxiety. I suppose it will be quite lengthy and I don't expect many readers but I can at least get it out.
It all started back in January when I cracked a pre-molar on my right side. I was going on a month-long dream vacation with my husband of 40 years in 3 days. Always taking care of my teeth (I get a cleaning every 6 months) and having no major issues, I went to my dentist who x-rayed the tooth, said it didn't need a root canal and put a temp filling in which he said would hold until I came back and he could crown it. Later on the same day it fell out, I went back and he re-did it. He told me not to chew anything hard on that side. I had no pain at all-just being cautious about the tooth.
Fast forward a month- had a wonderful vacation -the temp filling stayed in until a few days before I got home, still no pain but at this point I'm super careful about chewing on that side so I continue favoring that tooth. The day I get home, I'm chewing something on the left and I crack a molar. OK- time to see my dentist and get these 2 teeth fixed up even though neither are hurting. I am in my 60's and have a lot of old fillings which is just how it is.
This is where my journey begins. I don't like to refer to it as a nightmare ,even though I sometimes would like to, because there are people who are suffering in many ways more than me.
Day 1 - Dentist says neither tooth needs root canal but do need crowns. Come back next week and we'll start.
Day 7- He says let's start with the molar and proceeds with the crown prep and temporary crown. I come home and after the numbness wears off I am in the worst pain I've ever felt in my mouth. Motrin, ice and a glass or 2 of wine dull it just enough to take the edge off.
Day 8 - A little better but still hurting.
Day 13- I call him up and say I'm uncomfortable and I'm told to take Motrin and rinse with salt water.
Day 18 - I call and say he has to see me. I go in and he says the bite is off and he shaves it and says it'll ( the first of many times to hear this) take a day or two to settle down".
Day 20 - He removes the temp (that still hurts) and shoves the permanent crown on which causes me to nearly hit the ceiling. Again, I hear the magic "settle" word. I ask him about a possible root canal and he says he doesn't think it needs it but he'll put the crown on with temporary cement just in case.
Day 24-27 -I am out of state for my young granddaughter's birthday and I can not bear to even touch the crown . I am living on Motrin. I call the endodontist and beg to be seen that day. They give me an appointment later that day giving me time to get home. He does the root canal right then and tells me it was infected with calcification and that it "never would have healed on it's own". He puts the crown back on with temp cement. I get a prescription for antibiotics but told to take it only if I run a fever or swelling. I am relieved this is over. I have to go back in 3 weeks to finish root canal.
Day 28 - The major pain is gone though I'm very sore. I don't take the antibiotics because I have no fever or swelling and I listen to what the doctor tells me.
Day 30- The right pre-molar is acting up and I'm getting pain- I call the dentist and he puts a temporary filling in (again) so I can wait until the other one heals to get that done. He also says that he's not sure if that one might need a root canal because the crack is deep but let's wait and see.
Day 32- It is my grandson's birthday and I go to the party feeling somewhat optimistic but not really great as the soreness around the gum line is still very painful and the tooth is very tender and the right tooth is starting to really hurt.
Day 34- The pre-molar is really bothering me so I call the endodontist for a consult. I am afraid to have my dentist attempt a crown without root canal after what I'm going through (still hurting) with the molar. They set me up for an appointment.
Day 37 - Endo says tooth is badly cracked and doesn't know if he can save it but he'll try. He does the first part of root canal and says he's optimistic it can be saved-crack didn't go to the root. Come back in 3 weeks to finish.
Day 38 - It is Easter weekend and I'm going to my son's house out of state for the weekend. I have two unfinished root canals, one on each side and I can't chew on either side. I do my best but am miserable.
Day 40- I start taking the antibiotics because both sides are hurting and I don't know what else to do - Motrin is doing nothing.
Day 45- Gum around molar bleeds a bit-call endodontist- he says come in, checks it out and prescribed Peridix Oral Rinse for 2 weeks.
Day 48 - Molar is still very sore and I go back to have root canal finished and he says it's not ready but as long as I'm here he'll finish the other side so I can shift chewing to that side and let the molar heal. He does, tells me to go back to the dentist in 2 days to get a post and core and come back to him in 2 weeks to finish up molar
Day 50 - Dentist says it's too early to do post and core because I'm still sore so come back next week.
Day 58- Have the post and core done, relatively painless. Come back in 2 weeks to get crown prep .
Day 59- Wake up in awful pain on the molar- thinking all the post and crown prep upset the unfinished root canal even though it's on the other side. Call endodontist office- they say they spoke to dentist and being that I was there yesterday, I should see him first and if he saw anything they would fit me in that day. He saw nothing on the molar the day before; what was he going to see now. Besides, I had some family who was counting on me that day (birth of a new grandchild )and these teeth were ruining my life enough. Endo said I would have to wait until my next appointment to have it checked by them.
Day 60- Post and core area is starting to hurt.
Day 65- Endodontist finished up molar, says it all looks good. As far as gums, he feels they should "settle" down now that root canal is done. He said the area was red and angry when he first saw it 5 weeks ago and now it's just pink and mad. He checks post and core and days it's a high bite , fixes it and says it will, you got it, settle down.
Days 66-70- Can't chew on molar as it is very sore and tender so start chewing on post and crown which dentist says is OK to do - that side starts hurting again. Molar is slowly healing as far as pressure goes but gums are still very sore. Don't know where to chew. Lost 8 pounds since this all started.
Day 71- Today- I have an appointment with the dentist tomorrow for the crown prep. I am hurting, afraid, mad and depressed. I feel like I will never be normal again. As you can see, I've gone through 2 months and special events feeling miserable. I am somewhat of a gourmet cook and my family enjoys my special creations. I have had a hard time cooking as even the thought of food hurts my teeth. I am sad. I plan on having a heart-to-heart with my dentist tomorrow though at this point I'm pessimistic about what can be done. I'm thinking extraction but fear that too. What if I never heal from that? I can't take any more Motrin- it's affecting my stomach.
Thank you to anyone who read through this. Again, I've heard writing it down helps. I will follow up, hopefully with a positive outcome.
It all started back in January when I cracked a pre-molar on my right side. I was going on a month-long dream vacation with my husband of 40 years in 3 days. Always taking care of my teeth (I get a cleaning every 6 months) and having no major issues, I went to my dentist who x-rayed the tooth, said it didn't need a root canal and put a temp filling in which he said would hold until I came back and he could crown it. Later on the same day it fell out, I went back and he re-did it. He told me not to chew anything hard on that side. I had no pain at all-just being cautious about the tooth.
Fast forward a month- had a wonderful vacation -the temp filling stayed in until a few days before I got home, still no pain but at this point I'm super careful about chewing on that side so I continue favoring that tooth. The day I get home, I'm chewing something on the left and I crack a molar. OK- time to see my dentist and get these 2 teeth fixed up even though neither are hurting. I am in my 60's and have a lot of old fillings which is just how it is.
This is where my journey begins. I don't like to refer to it as a nightmare ,even though I sometimes would like to, because there are people who are suffering in many ways more than me.
Day 1 - Dentist says neither tooth needs root canal but do need crowns. Come back next week and we'll start.
Day 7- He says let's start with the molar and proceeds with the crown prep and temporary crown. I come home and after the numbness wears off I am in the worst pain I've ever felt in my mouth. Motrin, ice and a glass or 2 of wine dull it just enough to take the edge off.
Day 8 - A little better but still hurting.
Day 13- I call him up and say I'm uncomfortable and I'm told to take Motrin and rinse with salt water.
Day 18 - I call and say he has to see me. I go in and he says the bite is off and he shaves it and says it'll ( the first of many times to hear this) take a day or two to settle down".
Day 20 - He removes the temp (that still hurts) and shoves the permanent crown on which causes me to nearly hit the ceiling. Again, I hear the magic "settle" word. I ask him about a possible root canal and he says he doesn't think it needs it but he'll put the crown on with temporary cement just in case.
Day 24-27 -I am out of state for my young granddaughter's birthday and I can not bear to even touch the crown . I am living on Motrin. I call the endodontist and beg to be seen that day. They give me an appointment later that day giving me time to get home. He does the root canal right then and tells me it was infected with calcification and that it "never would have healed on it's own". He puts the crown back on with temp cement. I get a prescription for antibiotics but told to take it only if I run a fever or swelling. I am relieved this is over. I have to go back in 3 weeks to finish root canal.
Day 28 - The major pain is gone though I'm very sore. I don't take the antibiotics because I have no fever or swelling and I listen to what the doctor tells me.
Day 30- The right pre-molar is acting up and I'm getting pain- I call the dentist and he puts a temporary filling in (again) so I can wait until the other one heals to get that done. He also says that he's not sure if that one might need a root canal because the crack is deep but let's wait and see.
Day 32- It is my grandson's birthday and I go to the party feeling somewhat optimistic but not really great as the soreness around the gum line is still very painful and the tooth is very tender and the right tooth is starting to really hurt.
Day 34- The pre-molar is really bothering me so I call the endodontist for a consult. I am afraid to have my dentist attempt a crown without root canal after what I'm going through (still hurting) with the molar. They set me up for an appointment.
Day 37 - Endo says tooth is badly cracked and doesn't know if he can save it but he'll try. He does the first part of root canal and says he's optimistic it can be saved-crack didn't go to the root. Come back in 3 weeks to finish.
Day 38 - It is Easter weekend and I'm going to my son's house out of state for the weekend. I have two unfinished root canals, one on each side and I can't chew on either side. I do my best but am miserable.
Day 40- I start taking the antibiotics because both sides are hurting and I don't know what else to do - Motrin is doing nothing.
Day 45- Gum around molar bleeds a bit-call endodontist- he says come in, checks it out and prescribed Peridix Oral Rinse for 2 weeks.
Day 48 - Molar is still very sore and I go back to have root canal finished and he says it's not ready but as long as I'm here he'll finish the other side so I can shift chewing to that side and let the molar heal. He does, tells me to go back to the dentist in 2 days to get a post and core and come back to him in 2 weeks to finish up molar
Day 50 - Dentist says it's too early to do post and core because I'm still sore so come back next week.
Day 58- Have the post and core done, relatively painless. Come back in 2 weeks to get crown prep .
Day 59- Wake up in awful pain on the molar- thinking all the post and crown prep upset the unfinished root canal even though it's on the other side. Call endodontist office- they say they spoke to dentist and being that I was there yesterday, I should see him first and if he saw anything they would fit me in that day. He saw nothing on the molar the day before; what was he going to see now. Besides, I had some family who was counting on me that day (birth of a new grandchild )and these teeth were ruining my life enough. Endo said I would have to wait until my next appointment to have it checked by them.
Day 60- Post and core area is starting to hurt.
Day 65- Endodontist finished up molar, says it all looks good. As far as gums, he feels they should "settle" down now that root canal is done. He said the area was red and angry when he first saw it 5 weeks ago and now it's just pink and mad. He checks post and core and days it's a high bite , fixes it and says it will, you got it, settle down.
Days 66-70- Can't chew on molar as it is very sore and tender so start chewing on post and crown which dentist says is OK to do - that side starts hurting again. Molar is slowly healing as far as pressure goes but gums are still very sore. Don't know where to chew. Lost 8 pounds since this all started.
Day 71- Today- I have an appointment with the dentist tomorrow for the crown prep. I am hurting, afraid, mad and depressed. I feel like I will never be normal again. As you can see, I've gone through 2 months and special events feeling miserable. I am somewhat of a gourmet cook and my family enjoys my special creations. I have had a hard time cooking as even the thought of food hurts my teeth. I am sad. I plan on having a heart-to-heart with my dentist tomorrow though at this point I'm pessimistic about what can be done. I'm thinking extraction but fear that too. What if I never heal from that? I can't take any more Motrin- it's affecting my stomach.
Thank you to anyone who read through this. Again, I've heard writing it down helps. I will follow up, hopefully with a positive outcome.