Dental issues...

[lithera]

So, I went in for a cleaning yesterday and mentioned that there was a little weirdness above the front tooth I knocked out when I was 12 or 13. Just to be safe we took an x-ray of said tooth.

Well. It seems that my body has declared that tooth to be a foreign object and is attempting to reclaim it - break it down and get rid of it. This has caused an infection to spring up around it and the tooth next to it. Large chunks of the bone of that first tooth (my front upper left or #9 if you know those things) are gone and so is some of the bone above it. There was a chance that this was also happening to the tooth next to it, the smaller not quite as up front tooth #10.

So my dentist sent me to an endodontist today to see how bad things are up there. It turns out that things are bad but not crazy emergency bad - at least not for #10. #9 is still cracked all over the place, missing chunks and needs to go. It will get pulled out and replaced with a fake tooth that will involve bone grafts, metal rods being drilled into my skull and all sorts of other loveliness. That process will likely take 4-6 months as each process needs to heal before taking the next step.

Today, though, I just got #10 drilled out and filled with medicine. In two weeks, I get to go back, get it cleaned out and capped. Then we get to start on the work for #9. I know I'm not going to have an empty socket instead of a tooth at any point but I'm actually pretty panicked about the possibility anyway. It isn't exactly a rational fear but what are you going to do.

Remember kids, when you do crazy stupid stunts on monkey bars, be prepared for repercussions, including knocking teeth out, extreme crazy pain and dental work that shows up 20 years later and costs as much as a car.

Seriously 2011, I am done with this. Whatever the surprise for the 4th quarter of the year is, unless it involves a trip to Paris, you can keep it.

Comments

t_t

[kayay.livejournal.com]

I have bad dreams about losing a tooth or one coming loose.

The tooth you knocked out at 12, was it a baby tooth and it's the adult one that's being rejected? Dental insurance covering most of it I hope.

Re: t_t

[lithera.livejournal.com]

No, it was the adult tooth which was then root canaled.

Dental insurance will cover some of it. I have excellent dental insurance but it only goes so far. The cost, well, this isn't going to be cheap. I wasn't kidding about the car comment.

[princessgeek.livejournal.com]

Both of my two front teeth are missing. bet you din't know that. I don't have implants or anything fancy like that neither. I'm just sayin, it'll be fine.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that, actually. The more I reach out, the more I find there are a lot of people who have had similar issues. It does help some.

[princessgeek.livejournal.com]

Mine was a soccerball to the face at about the same age. I don't have an implant, just a bridge.It only (haha!) cost about $1000 and it took 2 visits. I think I might like to have an implant if they didn't cost ONE MILLION DOLLARS and involve multiple trips over such a long period of time to the dentist yuk.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I understand. I'm going to go the more expensive sort of long term route. It'll suck but with the situation I have it will be less likely to cause reoccurance later, which would totally suck.

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

Holy carp. So much do not want. You have my profound sympathies for what's coming next - in terms of both the personal and the financial pain!

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm... I don't know. I sort of wanted to lose my mind and start screaming at people for awhile but, hey, I didn't.

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

I ... yeah. I would be very tempted to do that myself. I can't believe how expensive dental work is.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Luckily, I'm in a position where I can handle this at the moment. It isn't easy or fun but I can handle it.

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

That's some small relief, I imagine. *hugs*

[lithera.livejournal.com]

It is. Mind you, I did have other plans for that money but, well, I can put them off for... however long.

[candidgamera.livejournal.com]

My total sympathies. Dental things make me cringe.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

This whole thing, even though both dentists are totally pros and completely awesome, makes me want to flail and panic. It is really hard to stay calm and... adultish..

[candidgamera.livejournal.com]

If it's any comfort, I'm sure they've done similar things dozens and dozens of times.

But yeah, I get white-knuckle grips on the chair when I'm just in for a cleaning, so I get it.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

I know and, like I said, they're really good. They explain what they're doing and why and how things are going and are generally communicative. Still... I've had enough bad experiences with teeth stuff, I sort of want to run around and scream about this.

[kielrain.livejournal.com]

I hope it all goes smoothly for you.
I also give you permission to run around and scream for a bit before dealing with it all. :)

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Geeze, me too. Gah.

I wonder if I'll be more likely to set off metal detectors.