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#1
04-30-2003, 07:39 AM
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I'd forgotten what a toothache was like.....until TODAY.
I've got a toothache, and it must be at least 25 years since I last felt any toothy-type pain at all (and that was when I had my braces installed and tightened every month). I'd forgotten what it was like.
And it's not nice. It fucking hurts and my whole face is aching and giving me the shits. And I feel remorseful now that I didn't give those who have complained to me about similar afflictions due sympathy. It seems that a visit to the dentist is my first port of call in the morning, and I hate dentists almost as much as I hate this pain in my lower head. Which is probably why I have a toothache, because I try to avoid the dentist as much as possible. Yeah, yeah, I know.....every six months is recommended, but I've never considered dentistry as something you would willingly submit to without EXTREME reason. Alas, it seems I have one now. And not only are they going to poke and prod my oh-so-sensitive mouth, they're gonna lecture me about how I should have more regular visits. And they're going to do it while my mouth is full of cotton wool and/or probey things, so I won't be able to give 'em a litany of excuses (like I do with the doc when my pap smear is somewhat overdue). God I hate dentists, and I hate my molar even more. I think I'll just go shoot myself. 
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#2
04-30-2003, 08:18 AM
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Re: I'd forgotten what a toothache was like.....until TODAY.
Quote:
Last year I broke a tooth on -- get this -- salad. It hurt like a motherfucker. I've avoided dentists so far, having lack of insurance as my biggest excuse. Fortunately, there is no more pain, as the starches that got caught in the gap have turned to sugars, and eaten away at not only the tooth but the nerve. I'll give them another few seconds before they start eating away at my brain and making me type like a breic keikdbd woinvnvorvonv sbgairu493ty8vn9p
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#3
04-30-2003, 08:30 AM
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Re: I'd forgotten what a toothache was like.....until TODAY.
Quote:
That's startin to get me worried. I haven't been to a dentist in over a decade.
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#5
04-30-2003, 09:07 AM
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Ugh, a year or so ago I went and got a filling fixed. The pain was unbearable, and after walking around for months in a grimace, I broke down and went to my dentist. I think the temporary filling is starting to go, because I ate a Kit Kat bar yesterday and well, you know the rest.
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#6
04-30-2003, 09:31 AM
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Oh boy, I had a filling going bad on a molar once. It became temperature sensitive. I like the dentist and go irregularly (read when insured). Anyway we talked about the molar from time to time. He would say "Well, let me know when it gets bad enough to fix."
It got to the point where I had to drink with a straw and had trouble eating a meal- the combination of, say, cold tea and hot spaghetti made meal eating a challenge. Then it began to hurt. Badly. I made an appointment to have it fixed. On the day of the appointment, I made the mistake of drinking some cold water with no straw. OMG, the pain was intense. I fell to the floor and started writhing and ...taking my clothes off. My normal person side was saying "Hey, why are you taking your clothes off? That doesn't have anything to do with your tooth." But my crazed side was saying "Do something. Anything. Make the pain go away!!!" I got a fabulous new tooth (I'm not sure what it is called. A crown? A cap?) I love the fake tooth. I paid extra for a white one even tho' it's a molar. Teeth are important. Teeth are you friends. Go to the dentist. It is so worth it. But I still like to drink everthing, even hot coffee, with a straw. I take the kids regularly, too, even uninsured. It costs $200.00 to $300.00 a visit, but I take them even if I don't take myself.
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#8
04-30-2003, 11:39 AM
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About 10 years ago, I had 2 wisdom teeth cut out, and the dentist used novocaine. My codeine prescription wasn't called in until after the procedure, and I had to wait about 45 minutes at the pharmacy.
It's not fun to be drooling blood, sweating ice water and shaking because your novocaine has worn off and you haven't gotten your meds yet. I don't recommend it.
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#9
04-30-2003, 11:43 AM
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I, on the other hand, would give anything to be able to visit my dentist. Unfortunately, I have no insurance.
It sucks-I need two root canals, a bridge, caps, fillings, you name it. The one tooth, I think, is going to be beyond root canaling-because it's just crumbling. (However, lest you think I look like one of those peasants from the Dark Ages, I don't have bad breath or hideous looking teeth-they're a bit big, but they're clean and I keep mints and gum around. It's just molars, mostly. And they hurt and I have trouble chewing. )
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#10
04-30-2003, 11:49 AM
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Several years ago I got a really nasty toothache.
On a Saturday. The dentist office was closed. I had to work that day. Before going into to work I debated whether or not to even go. If I stayed home I wouldn't feel any better, and at work (fast food at the time) I would be busy and my mind would be off of the toothache somewhat. My dad, who's a pharmacist, gave me some Darvacet (sp?) tablets to take with me. They helped to make the pain at least tolerable. The side of my mouth was swollen and I was getting some strange looks from the people who came to the drive-thru window. At 5:00 my shift ended and I went home. Meanwhile, my mom had called the dentist at home (my parents know him well enough to do this) and arranged to have me meet him at his office. I don't remember what caused the pain, but he shot me up with some novocaine, did his work and the pain was gone. As much as I dislike going to the dentist, I was sure glad I didn't have to wait out the weekend and deal with the excruciating pain until the following Monday.
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#11
04-30-2003, 11:53 AM
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kambuckta, I sympathize - I too just felt the pangs of a new cavity - I HATE that feeling! Not only is the pain bad, but the realization that I have a cavity and have to go to the dentist and get it filled sucks just as much. About the dentist every six months, from the time I was 11 till when I was about 14 I didn't go to the dentist once, and when I finally went again, I didn't have a single cavity AND the dentist told me my teeth were cleaner than hers. Obviously it's best to go every six months, but you can get by without.
tdn - you cracked me up 
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#12
04-30-2003, 12:05 PM
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I just hope I don't end up with dentures before I'm thirty.
It's not that I don't take care of my teeth-it's that I cannot, absolutely cannot afford dental care.
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#13
04-30-2003, 12:14 PM
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Do any of you have dental insurance that will pay 100% of a crown?
I've had 2 in recent years, and my insurance company only pays 50% of $600-700 crowns.
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#14
04-30-2003, 12:17 PM
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Quote:
The commercials usually boast monthly rates of $10-20 for an individual.
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#15
04-30-2003, 12:20 PM
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Between toothaches and natural childbirth I'd choose the childbirth - it hurts less. I often wonder if it's because of the proximity of your teeth to the brain.
To all of you with current dental "siuations" you have my deep and heartfelt sympathies.
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#16
04-30-2003, 08:14 PM
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Eep! How horrible! I've had a couple cavities the last few years, but I go to the dentist roughly twice a year, so they were caught before I felt a thing. Only thing is that I have this deep fear of drilling; I'm convinced that the novacaine is gonna wear off just BAM right in the middle of drilling (even though I know that's impossible).
The worst pain I remember was the day I got my braces. The tooth on the right side of my right front tooth (got that? heh), was literally sideways before braces. I think they had the braces a bit too tight at first, because in about 3 hours the tooth was twisted to almost being straight.  Oh.my.GOD, I remember trying to keep my jaws clenched tightly because that made it hurt a tiny bit less, and being curled up on my bed with tears streaming down my face. It didn't stop for hours.
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#17
04-30-2003, 08:52 PM
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My teeth hurt for a month after I got braces. And for two weeks out of every subsequent month when they were tightened. OWIE!
A few days of discomfort my ass! Weeks of PAIN!
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#18
04-30-2003, 10:17 PM
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Jeez. Double impacted wisdom extraction under local. Arch bar removal (owing to quadruple mandibular fracture) without anesthetic. Triple screw removal from tibial repair under local. Pain is relative.
Quit being whiny boys and get a grip. Focus, and be a better person. 
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#19
04-30-2003, 10:33 PM
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Quote:
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#20
04-30-2003, 10:42 PM
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Quite a few friends who had braces were always cutting their mouths on them. Once I was in a car with my friend and her younger sister got her lip caught in her braces-we were trying to comfort her while she fixed it.
Another friend had blood stains on her patio in the back from where she fell and cut her lip on her braces. *shudder*
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#21
05-01-2003, 12:03 AM
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Quote:
$350 or so; insurance (Delta Dental) covered 50%. No pain, and the bite seems fine. It's just ... well, strange.
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#22
05-01-2003, 07:28 AM
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My insurance doesn't cover the entire cost of a crown.
It also has a yearly cap, with the root canal, I'm probably pretty close to it already this year. My root canal was about $1200. I'll write a check for $300. I love writing checks for pain. But some insurance is better than no insurance. Anyone with no insurance may want to check their local university for a dental school. Having someone do their first (or 50th) filling in your mouth is rumored to be no fun (my brother in law had an oral surgeon in training do his wisdom teeth and doesn't recommend it unless you are already in a lot of pain). But fillings can prevent crowns, crowns can prevent root canals, and root canals, although painful, do eventually keep you from being in greater pain.
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#24
05-01-2003, 09:14 AM
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I'd pay way more out of my own pocket NOT to go to a student dentist. No offense to any student dentists out there, but I am a big-time dental weenie, and no way in HELL am I letting somebody learn on MY teeth. Use my mom's husband's. He falls asleep at the dentist!
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#25
05-01-2003, 10:46 AM
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Crap, reading some of the horror stories in this thread, and my wife's nightmare of a root canal last week have convinced me to go to the dentist for my first checkup in about 4 years.
My wife's root canal was so painful that they gave her vicodin for the pain and penicillin to clean up the infection that she had. She has been eating mushy foods for about a week now.
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#27
05-01-2003, 10:57 AM
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Fuck, I need a crown on a molar as well. Anyone have 100% dental coverage and need a husband for a week or two?
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#28
05-01-2003, 11:37 AM
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I did the student dentist thing for two of my wisdom teeth extractions. It was way better than the real dentist, who left me with a dry socket and a big bill. The bill was like $150 and the dental school only charged me $18. This was a million years ago, so I'm sure it's gone up a bit, but it's a major savings. And they're supervised by experienced guys. There's nothing to be scared of.
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#29
05-01-2003, 03:57 PM
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No, kambuckta, there was no falsehood involved. Been there for it all, as described.
Not a toughguy, I think my ability to disassociate is better than most. I'm thankful for that.
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#30
05-01-2003, 05:28 PM
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Kalhoun, I am aware that they are supervised. But I'm still not going that route. Telling somebody who is as scared of dental work as I am that there's nothing to be scared of will only get you laughed at, or possibly hit. I get nervous at a CLEANING, let alone anything involving needles or drills or other horrible things.
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#31
05-02-2003, 02:17 AM
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Gee, dentistry has changed since I last got the guts up to go. I was pleasantly surprised.
There was no pain whatsoever....using a topical anaesthetic before they bunged the lignocaine-filled needle in ensured that my clenched fists/toes/buttocks relaxed in seconds. However, the drills still make the most abysmal noise that is guaranteed to set all your nerves on edge. When they can make a noiseless drill, I might think about going back again!! It was just a filling, and I know I'm a wuss.
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#32
05-02-2003, 04:37 AM
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Glad your teeth are better kambuckta I hate the dentist's too.
Recently I had a tooth filled. the dentist did a terrible job of preparing my tooth, so I ended up with very sharp edge on it, it cut the inside of my cheek up like nobody's business! I told my mum. she said use a nail file to file it down. I frowned at her. Then a few days later I tried it. Worked like a charm! no more sharp-edged tooth.
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#33
05-02-2003, 06:48 AM
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Quote:
Wuss
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#34
05-02-2003, 07:41 AM
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I go every six months. The fact that I do that is an excellent testimony to my dentist. I WOULDN'T GO TO ANY OTHER DENTIST ON THE PLANET. But I haven't had any cavities since Dr. Stern did the initial job of fixing my teeth over 15 years ago.
I had a major toothache one freezing cold Saturday afternoon. Dr. Stern was closed. By Saturday night I was in agony. I decided to lay down on the couch and wait for my neighbor to come home to see if she would take me to the emergency room. When I heard her come in, I went to look over the arm of the couch to see what time it was....and I hit the side of my jaw with the toothache and bit down really hard. And I experienced pain of a new dimension. I grabbed the side of my face and started running back and forth in my two room apartment. I was damn near on the ceiling. When I got ahold of myself, I lay down and thought "That's it. I'm gonna die. I ain't making it to the hospital." And I fell asleep. I woke up at 4 in the morning with a dull ache in my jaw. When I went to Dr. Stern later that week, he said I had an absess and had popped it when I bit down. It was completely drained. I wouldn't suggest trying this at home.
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#35
05-02-2003, 12:25 PM
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I have had awful problems with toothaches/jawaches/earaches caused by sinus pain (it's not the tooth ... but the sinusitis tricks you into thinking it is).
I usually end up unclothed on the bathroom floor, writhing in pain. Obviously this does absolutely nothing to help the sinusitis, but for some reason, it's just what I do. Growing up, if I had complained about my sinuses earlier in the day, and my parents found the bathroom door closed with me nowhere to be found, they knew not to open the door.
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#36
05-02-2003, 06:39 PM
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[Cheech & Chong voice] Earache my eye! How would you like a nice buttache? [/Cheech & Chong voice]
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#37
05-02-2003, 09:42 PM
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Annie, I am feeling the urge to go hide under my desk just at the THOUGHT of experiencing something that. EEEEK!
I am way overdue to visit the dentist. Until I am insured, which it turns out actually might happen, it'll probably stay that way, barring emergencies. Good teeth. Atta teeth. Please don't get any cavities, teeth... Good for you, kambuckta. I always feel like I deserve to be congratulated after getting my teeth worked on. I swear if it wasn't for nitrous I never WOULD.
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#38
05-02-2003, 10:16 PM
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Quote:
Bastard.
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#39
05-03-2003, 09:35 AM
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I had several toothaches as a child. I had cavities that the dentist told my parents there was no point in filling because these particular molars were going to fall out within 6 months anyway. Of course they didn't, and each one in turn ended up abscessed and needed to be extracted. This was in the days before there was dental insurance, (when dinosaurs ruled the earth). After that I swore I would never have a toothache again. And I never have. I go for a cleaning and checkup every 6 months. This is not unpleasant; I can't imagine why people complain about it. If a cavity is even starting it gets fixed right away when it is so small I don't even need novocaine for the drilling.
I guess I'm also fortunate in that if something very painful happens to any of his patients, my dentist would fit them in somehow regardless of the day of the week as an emergency measure.
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#40
05-03-2003, 02:55 PM
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Years ago, I needed a root canal, and knew it had to be right then. Thankfully, my dentist is a firehouse buddy, and agreed to meet me at his office on his day off.
Once there, he performed the procedure, while wearing very non-doctor garb of flannel shirt and jeans,while his irish setter, Casey-AKA Beanhead, rested muzzle on my thigh to be petted. Doctor's offices should have critters.
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#41
05-03-2003, 03:27 PM
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For all of you with toothache, I offer salvation.
Obviously if you have dental problems you need a dentist yaddayadda. HOWEVER, when the pain is there, and the happy-gas isn't, I offer you this solution. Take a handful of cloves (yeah, the little spice things that look like nails). Boil water, pour it onto the cloves in a cup. Let it cool enough to have in your mouth. Rinse your mouth out with this, let it sit in your mouth and you swish it around. No more pain. Yaddayadda this is only treating the symptom not the cause yaddayadda IANAD etc blahblah. Cash thank-yous accepted.
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#42
05-03-2003, 03:38 PM
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Dental insurance is abysmal in this country. Most insurance policies only cover up to $1000 a year and any type of dental work is ridiculously expensive.
I don't know what dental insurance coverage is like in Australia as I was only a kid the last time I was at a dentist there. Is it any better than here in the States? My suggestion to the folks in the States is to go to the dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings, cuz if you ever need any real work, you may aswell bend over and grab yer ankles.
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#43
05-03-2003, 04:43 PM
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Quote:
Most of the time. 
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#44
05-03-2003, 11:39 PM
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Mention of 'Oil of Cloves' brings to mind Dustin Hoffman in 'Marathon Man'.
"Is it safe?"
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#45
05-04-2003, 12:06 AM
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Quote:
You should've put a TMI warning before your post ya know, just to warn those who are booked in to see their 'dentist' in the near future.....bwahahahahahaha!!
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