(no subject)

[tvordlj]

Dentist appointment this morning. I have had a bit of trouble with a tooth that had dental surgery 2 years ago. The endodontist said then, after a 6 month checkup, that it was healing nicely but over the last 5 or 6 months the gum has been tender and sometimes swollen. The tooth itself feels pretty solid but clearly there is a problem. My dentist checked it in January and then again in July and it's not changed so he sent me to the specialist that did the original surgery.

He doesn't know exactly what the reason for this "chronic abcess" is (no it's not one of those really painful abcesses) but strongly suspects a vertical crack in the root. He said i could throw more money at it and he could redo the surgery and clip off the end of the root again but that may only buy me time before the inevitable. I'll probably lose the tooth anyway. Asking him if he recommends just taking it out he said, well "I'm not jumping up and down saying I can fix it I can fix it!" He's the expert, and he's probably right about the crack.

I guess now i have to talk to my dental office to see what the options are. I lost a molar on the other side some years ago and if i'm going to lose this one, i am going to have to get one of the holes filled by either a bridge or an implant. Implants are supposedly the way to go these days but are even more ungodly expensive. My insurance will only cover a max of 1000 dollars in a year. If the dentist office is willing to do two billings, one in December and one in January, i might get a bit more covered but i'll still be handily out of pocket. I guess that's what the line of credit is for. It's aggravating, though, as i've spent so much on that tooth already. Two root canals and a bout of dental surgery. But there comes a time when you've just got to face that it's just not salvagable anymore. That particular tooth has always given me grief of one sort or another.

Comments

[nancy-j.livejournal.com]

Most people when they realize it's going to COST THEM DEARLY opt to get them out. However, over time, it can interfere with your jaw and chewing and god help you if you get arthritis in the jaw from having the tooth removed (too soon). But in this case, where it has been a problem for so many years, and will still be a problem probably, maybe the advice of your dentist is the best thing to go by. If you have to get it out, problem could be solved. Who knows?

[acey.livejournal.com]

Cracked teeth have been the bane of my life for the last few years. I got an implant a couple of years ago because the cracked tooth was in a highly visible spot and a bridge was out because the teeth next to it were too crumbly to anchor it.

Since there is a waiting period between getting the part that goes in the gum and getting the tooth part that screws onto it, I was able to split the billing over two years. I had the first part done in an October, and the second in the following March. I was given a temporary cap during the waiting period.

Nancy is so right about the importance of teeth when you age. Another thing which isn't publicized too much is the danger of infections entering the bloodstream through infected gums. These can sometimes have very dire consequences if left untreated.

[tvor.livejournal.com]

Yes i know something is going to have to be done about it and i won't leave it too long. I will have to talk to the dentist office to see what can be arranged financially so that maybe the insurance will cover a bit more of it.