Took today off to visit the Cheekwood Botantical Gardens & Art Museum.
And then–right upper rear molar broke!
My dentist may be able to see me–Fridays are his day off, usually.
I’ve had that happen a couple times. Both times it was just one cusp, so my dentist was able to put on a crown. I imagine that how the tooth breaks can make a big difference.
Considering the materials and forces involved, I was a little surprised how much it didn’t hurt.
Still kinda sucks, though. I hope you can get it taken care of with a minimum of bother.
That does suck. I am walking around with a broken molar, too. I have an appointment in about two weeks that’s been scheduled for a few while now, so I figure I’ll have them look at it then. The tooth was slightly chipped when I had my last appt six month ago, and they sent in an estimate to my insurance company. The insurance company replied with a letter saying they would not cover a penny of it, so I didn’t get it fixed. Fast forward to now, more tooth broken off, probably even bigger expense. The last estimate was $1200. I bet it’s up to $1500 now. Yikes. At least it doesn’t show much when I smile. I am pretty particular about my teeth–brush three to four times a day, floss many times a week–so this really bothers me, but I don’t have an extra $1500 to throw around, so I’m sort of in a bind.
You can buy temp fillings if there’s any pain. They don’t work very well if you chew on it. Hopefully the tooth can be repaired without a crown. A crown will set you back about $500 or more. A root canal is anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500. You most likely won’t need that but you can’t be sure till they do x-rays
If you get a crown think about a gold crown if you can’t see the tooth.
The reason is porcelain crowns are white and look better but are MUCH harder on the teeth below it.
If you get a porcelain crown on a molar what’s likely to happen is the tooth directly below it will be worn down much quicker. A gold crown won’t have that effect as gold is softer. Of course if you can see the tooth that’s something to consider.
I had two molars mostly shattered after a kickboxing accident some years ago. It was several days before my dentist could see me (during which I studiously avoided getting anything near those teeth), and his first response upon looking at them was to ask, “Why aren’t you screaming?” He could see exposed nerve tissue in one of them. The result was a double root canal and a crown for each. To the dentist’s eternal credit, the only discomfort I felt during the root canal procedure was from my jaw being extended for a long time and my mouth drying out.
Of course, at a later date, I managed to break the titanium post holding one of the crowns in place. That resulted in a much longer ordeal. Getting an implant takes a long time. The root has to be extracted and a bone graft put in its place, then a titanium screw goes into the graft, then a crown goes onto the screw–and there’s a month or more of healing between each step. At least I’ve got a nice, solid fake tooth in that spot now.
I’ve never needed any of the other insurance that comes with my job, but I’ve given the dental plan a real workout.
I’ve had four crowns put on and none of them was less than $800 (the first one, about 15 years ago). The most recent one was about $1100. Doesn’t matter if it’s gold or porcelain, the cost is the same. Temporaries that the dentist puts on have gotten much better, but don’t bother with the so-called temps you can buy at the drugstore. My dentist recommended gold over porcelain.
This sounds absolutely dreadful, and this is coming from someone who has had multiple bone marrow biopsies without general anesthesia.
Actually, it wasn’t at all painful, aside from a little discomfort getting the root pulled (picture the dentist kneeling on the side of the chair, pulling on the tooth, and grumbling at me to “Let go, already!”).
After it was pulled, the gap in my jaw was filled with powdered bone, and the skin of my gums was folded over and stitched to cover the opening. A couple of weeks of mild itching and tickling from the stitches, and I just had a smooth place there. Then a couple of months of nothing while the graft set. Then they put the screw in, which was about like getting an ear pierced, pain-wise, I think–I played in a LARP game that morning, went to get the screw put in at lunch, and came back to finish the game (in a speaking role, no less). Then another couple of months for the graft to grow onto the screw and lock it in (and to let the year lapse, since I’d run my dental insurance to the annual cap). Then I went back a couple of times to get a mold taken for the crown and for them to put the crown on, which were painless. For the first few days, the new tooth felt as big as my thumb, because I’d gotten used to having a gap there.
Bosda - Besides that, how was the Chihuly exhibit? I’ve been thinking of going, but haven’t made the time.
StG
Did not go.
Went to the dentist.
Temp fix.
Monday, after work, back to the dentist.
Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?
Spent last night sleepless.
Noisy party upstairs.
Cops came 3 times.
Last time, they brought the ambulance.
Weekend sucks.