Good luck today Anne2021! Let us know how it went!
Well, I went. It felt awful to go, but I went through with it. I expected bad news and I got bad news, but there was one bit of hopeful news. My lower right molars both need to be extracted. I had known there was decay under the crowns for some time and was just too scared to mess around under crowns. [As a side note, I got a crown when I was about 23 and then had that one redone and had four more when I was 29 for a total of 5 crowned molars. I will be 51 in the next few weeks. Until I was about 47, no one had told me that I needed to be more careful about taking care of crowns. I feel really stupid, but I honestly and naively thought that they were covered now and would be safer than a regular tooth. I don't remember anyone ever saying a word about it and was in total shock in 2017 when I was told I had decay around the edges of teeth with crowns]. Anyway, back to today, he took x-rays of those two molars because I was having trouble getting food stuck in the gum tissue around one of them and some soreness and bleeding with both when I brush - no pain chewing or at any other times. If I don't brush or floss them, they don't hurt. Well, even with PFM crowns on he could see so much decay now on the x-rays that he says they need to come out. He thinks they are probably dead and it's just a matter of time before pain and abscess. He refers to an oral surgeon. I've used one that is kind, but I'm still scared. I've also never had to remove a crowned tooth before and never one, much less two, with so much decay.
I also was concerned about my upper left. I am already missing the first bicuspid and the second molar and was worried about the remaining bicuspid and first molar. The bicuspid needs a filling. I told him that there is some pain with biting pressure, but he still thought a filling would work. I don't know if I should worry that it's too late because of that pain. It's not intense and there is no sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweets. So, if he's right, that's the good news, I guess. The first molar is crowned and has significant visible decay. He knew it had decay 2-4 years ago. He says if we don't get to it, it will end up like the other two. He still thinks we can try to save the crown and fill it without removing the crown. Then when he gets into it, he will see if that is the case. That tooth has felt odd since the second molar next to it came out in 2009. Like I sense it more. Not pain. Almost like it's loose, but not loose. It feels a bit like when I have read about sprained tooth syndrome online. Anyway, I'm scared if the crown comes off, the tooth will not make it. Too much trauma for it. He suggested that we should not do the two at the same appointment even though they are next to each other - probably due to my phobia.
His first recommendation was to remove the two lower right molars first. I said that right now I can at least still use them to chew. So, he moved on to scheduling the bicuspid filling. It's scheduled for August 24 - which is almost 6 weeks. (They offered four days earlier, but that is a Friday and fillings on Friday scare me in case things go wrong and everybody is gone for the weekend). I don't know what to do next. I could ask him to send the referral to the oral surgeon any time, I know, since he won't do those, but how will I eat? I'm already short four teeth on the left side and am kind of guarding over there. If he gets into the upper molar and it's too far gone, I won't have anywhere to chew unless I am prepared to move forward with a lower partial before I just pull teeth without any direction.
He is planning to leave by the end of the year and is already only scheduling mornings according to the receptionist. I have no idea when we could work on a partial denture if he is scheduling more than five weeks out and I need two appointments with him for fillings (if I can even follow through). I'm wondering if I should see a prosthodontist for the partial instead of a general dentist. I have no idea whether I will get metal or all plastic or any of those details. I also have a gap where I lost a lower left bicuspid four years ago and the neighboring tooth has been shifting and tipping into that area so that my dentist wasn't sure how a partial would work in that spot. We have a dental college in my city that is supposed to be one of the best in the country and I have visited the faculty practice before. I just know the faculty keep short hours and in the past did not find them more understanding of my phobia. I thought about trying there for the partial. I also mentioned concern over COVID protocols in a comment above, and I just don't know about staying where I am. The logistics of this is overwhelming me.
I mentioned at first, too, that I wanted to wait until my son is not a minor anymore so that at I wouldn't fear dying as much and thought that might help me with some resolve and courage, but that is just over four months away. I keep hoping those molars could hold out until then. Of course, he poked around a little there today and so now I am more aware of the soreness and figure they will start hurting when they didn't before. I really am just overwhelmed about what course to take next. Any advice from dentists or anyone would be much appreciated. I know you commented above, Dr. Daniel. If you have any thoughts, I would be very grateful.
