P
phignasdamon
Junior member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2017
- Messages
- 2
Hi there, Since last night I haven't been able to sleep due to reading a tragic story of a 26 year old (with a wife and kids) who had a toothache, went to the dentist, and then ultimately died shortly after from an infection.
I know untreated cavities can lead to systemic infections that can kill you. I've always brushed it off as something exceedingly rare - since you always see people whose entire mouths have rotted, but they haven't died yet. I basically haven't been to the dentist in over 10 years due to my financial situation. Around that time, I got my first cavity. It was in a lower second molar (which just so happened to be blocking a partially impacted wisdom tooth). Over the first few years, it got bigger and bigger and the inside of the cavity became blackened. Multiple times, an abscess formed (swelling and pus drainage), but ultimately it stopped growing and stopped hurting. It hasn't caused me problems or changed at all in many years, although from what I understand this is a bad sign as it's possibly due to nerve damage and so I'm simply not feeling the pain anymore.
I know the dangers of all of this because I've read up on it extensively. Including the impact it can have on my other teeth and bones. For some reason, last night was like a wake up call to me when I read the story. I know now that no matter what I need to find a way to get dental care, whether it's through a dental school or other low-cost options.
I guess what I'm looking for is some bit of reassurance that I won't literally drop dead tomorrow. I'm in my 20's, otherwise completely healthy, and it's been 10 years since this cavity has formed..I need a bit of time (a week or so) to try and gather the funds and inquire around to see what my options are. But I've just been so scared and pacing back and forth since last night. From what I've read, everyone's genetics are different and that has a big impact on how these things play out. So is it possible that some people's cavities may only worsen slowly over time? I have one other tiny cavity (on another molar) that hasn't grown at all in 5 years. I'm not looking for excuses to delay it further, but I just really need some mental comfort right now. Would 1 more week kill me??
For what it's worth, since this is a lower second molar that is blocking a wisdom tooth, I actually would prefer to just have it extracted rather than a costly root canal (which is certainly what would be needed as it's been 10 years). Hopefully the impacted wisdom tooth can move into the molar's place and therefore prevent migration of the other teeth. Do you guys have any experience with this?
I know untreated cavities can lead to systemic infections that can kill you. I've always brushed it off as something exceedingly rare - since you always see people whose entire mouths have rotted, but they haven't died yet. I basically haven't been to the dentist in over 10 years due to my financial situation. Around that time, I got my first cavity. It was in a lower second molar (which just so happened to be blocking a partially impacted wisdom tooth). Over the first few years, it got bigger and bigger and the inside of the cavity became blackened. Multiple times, an abscess formed (swelling and pus drainage), but ultimately it stopped growing and stopped hurting. It hasn't caused me problems or changed at all in many years, although from what I understand this is a bad sign as it's possibly due to nerve damage and so I'm simply not feeling the pain anymore.
I know the dangers of all of this because I've read up on it extensively. Including the impact it can have on my other teeth and bones. For some reason, last night was like a wake up call to me when I read the story. I know now that no matter what I need to find a way to get dental care, whether it's through a dental school or other low-cost options.
I guess what I'm looking for is some bit of reassurance that I won't literally drop dead tomorrow. I'm in my 20's, otherwise completely healthy, and it's been 10 years since this cavity has formed..I need a bit of time (a week or so) to try and gather the funds and inquire around to see what my options are. But I've just been so scared and pacing back and forth since last night. From what I've read, everyone's genetics are different and that has a big impact on how these things play out. So is it possible that some people's cavities may only worsen slowly over time? I have one other tiny cavity (on another molar) that hasn't grown at all in 5 years. I'm not looking for excuses to delay it further, but I just really need some mental comfort right now. Would 1 more week kill me??
For what it's worth, since this is a lower second molar that is blocking a wisdom tooth, I actually would prefer to just have it extracted rather than a costly root canal (which is certainly what would be needed as it's been 10 years). Hopefully the impacted wisdom tooth can move into the molar's place and therefore prevent migration of the other teeth. Do you guys have any experience with this?
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