I just came back from the dentist, and my fears have been realized. I'm going to lose my upper right eye tooth (#6). It was too badly eaten away to be saved by root canal without extensive dental surgery, which I should avoid because of my pending bisphosphonate treatments. Unfortunately, it served as one of the supports for a 3-tooth bridge, so now I will have to extend to a 4-tooth bridge to span the gap of the (soon to be) missing tooth. There was a time when I'd have given my eye teeth to get something I really wanted. I should have. Now it's going to cost me $6,175 just to get rid of one! Boy, dental insurance sure would be nice. I now have a temporary bridge to hold me over until my extraction appointment next week.
This still doesn't deal with my lower right tooth #28, which appears to have developed an abscess since having a root canal done in 2005. According to my endodontist, the root may have cracked. The unknown here is whether this is something that needs to be dealt with soon or whether it might stay this way for a long time. That one supports a bridge as well, including a cantilever that extends toward the back. If I lose that tooth (including the cantilever), I will have no molars left on that side of my mouth, making chewing a bit difficult. I can't get a new bridge there, because there is nothing left on that side to support one. It was previously determined that my jaw bone is too narrow for an implant, and besides, I don't have time for that because of my impending bisphosphonate therapy. I would probably have to have a removable denture fitted for that space. I have a decision to make here. Do I let it go and hope for the best, or have it taken out and move to Appalachia? Help me here.
All in all, these are small worries in the grand scheme of things. I just have to deal with them and move on.
" Do I let it go and hope for the best, or have it taken out and move to Appalachia?"
ReplyDeleteBill I laughed OUT LOUD when I read this comment! I also have been dealing with horendeous dental problems. In the process of getting an implant then crown for a tooth that previously had: cavities then, two root canals then, crown after which the whole thing simply rotted off at the gum line taking everything with it. I refused to invest in a "flipper" for vanity and have been using the expression that I now look like I've from West Virginia. Last week one of the kindergarten students where I am volunteering was all excited that we are alike in we BOTH are missing a tooth! Swell~ must be my second childhood. My hope is that Jeff & Brian read their dental heritage here and take heed. There is NO DENTAL insurance in old age....and it is straight out of savings!!! My one ONE tooth repair is coming it at a little over $3,000! Sooooo your Appalachia comment gave me another chuckle about it all! I'm happy that you are maintaining a wonderful spirit....so important to health and healing! Cheryl
I hope you have dealt with this predicament in good spirits. If you ask me, it’s better to have it removed and get it over with rather than wait for it to get worse. It may put a dent in your pocket, but at least you get 'developing an abscess' off your list of worries. Well, I hope whatever solution you came up with turned out for the best.
ReplyDeleteDonnie White @ Good and Associates