I Hate Dental Work

Caninelaw · #1 (**permalink**) 07-01-2009, 06:20 PM

Yesterday I had to have a tooth extracted. It was loads of fun. Anyway, the story on this tooth is that about 6 years ago or so I had to have a root canal done on it. Last November, during a duck hunt, on a weekend of course, the tooth starts hurting me. By the time I got home it was really hurting. I call my Dentist and he says he might be able to see me on Sunday morning. About a half hour later he calls me back and says meet me at the office. (Great guy! What other dentist would do that on a Saturday night!). So I meet him there and it turns out I have an abscess in this same tooth that a root canal was done on 6 years ago. He tells me he doesn't know if he can "save" the tooth and might have to pull it. So he has to drill out the old cap, drill out all the cement inside and remove a post he put in there. He works on me for about an hour and a half and finally he says, "you're going to like this" and he put this little camera in my mouth that shows on the TV screen above the dental chair and there all kinds of puss and blood coming out of the tooth. Man, that felt a lot better!! Anyway he re-does the root canal just to make sure everything is out of there. Anyway, a couple visits later I've got a new cap and figure every thing's okay now. Well, fast forward to yesterday. I'm at the bank paying my mortgage payment and the cap just falls off. I look at it and there's a post sticking out of the cap and I'm thinking, "That can't be good". So, I drive around the block to the dentist office and go in and show them the tooth/cap and the gal at the desk says, "uh oh, that's not good". So after about a half hour wait they take me in, shoot and couple x-rays and then the dentist sees me. He looks at the tooth/cap and the x-ray and says, "What's left of the tooth is cracked in half. That's not going back on, we'll have to do an extraction", (DAMN!!) So he numbs me up and starts digging and pulling (I should point out that this is a three root molar, of course, not one of those smaller one root teeth - the good part is at least it doesn't show being that far back, LOL). Anyway, what's left of this tooth in my head is so brittle its coming out in pieces. He digs and pulls and digs and pulls and finally gets it all out after about and hour and a half of work. I'm bleeding like a stuck pig and it feels like a mule kicked me in the mouth. Well, took the day off work today because of it and at least it isn't bleeding any more but it still aches, although more like a small pony kicked me now. I'll have to go back for follow up next week and then decide if I'll get an implant or a bridge. And then, the fun part, pay the bill for all this...which I think will hurt more then what happened yesterday.

Common Sense · #2 (**permalink**) 07-01-2009, 06:25 PM

They are expensive, but implants are supposed to last forever.

I have had one a few years, and so far so good!

sancho · #3 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 11:07 AM

yuck!!!

i am downright obsessive with flossing and brushing. the dentist uses scare tactics with me!

. seems to be working. i just had my third cavity in 43 years done a few months ago. and it was more of a crack from chewing ice.

hope you feel better. you going for a gold "toofuses"? hahhaah

Arrowhead · #4 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 11:15 AM

Quote:

you going for a gold "toofuses"?

Sancho >> That's just not right man. He only had one done so it's just a toof. More than one is teef.

BelchFire · #5 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 12:21 PM

Well, in georgia, more than one if Teef-ez.

All this talk about dental work has got me squirming like the kidney stone thread.

Man, why you gotta go ruin my "friday" like that. Yeah, I'm off tomorrow.

And I'm gonna spend all weekend with a toof ache after reading this.

Soak it in your favorite beverage and ebberythang'll be O-tay.

bodega · #6 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 05:29 PM

Thanks a lot for the story Canine. I've got the same thing going on and have been putting off having the dead tooth removed (canal done on it 4 years ago) and having a new fakie installed. Titanium post drilled into the jawbone. Cost will be $6000 over my dental insurance cap so I get to pay. Gets me all worked up. Thanks again for the story Canine...

Sigma · #7 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 06:44 PM

I think you should look into another dentist. I'm in HB, I've been in Dr. Ota's care for about 20 years. Named one of the top 100 dentists by Fortune Magazine. Super work. USC graduate. Always called me the evening after I had some work done to make sure everything was right. I have not a single complaint, only praise. Unfortunately, he just retired a couple of months ago and his "partner" now runs the Dental Oasis of OC at Bella Terra, Brian Toorani. Have not had anything done by Toorani yet. They moved their office from a small but nice office they had at Warner/Euclid and the recession hit them hard. Going on different cues, something tells me Dr. Ota isn't really finished working, and that the move with Toorani didn't go too well. We'll see.

Caninelaw · #8 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sigma

I think you should look into another dentist.

Really, do tell why? I have no complaint, especially him seeing me on a Saturday night that he actually canceled him plans to meet me at his office.

Sigma · #9 (**permalink**) 07-03-2009, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caninelaw

Really, do tell why? I have no complaint, especially him seeing me on a Saturday night that he actually canceled him plans to meet me at his office.

Canine, from the way you're describing what you went through, the final outcome of the matter (extraction) may have something to do with skills and judgement of your doctor in reference to previous treatments and procedures.

At one point you said: "I look at it and there's a post sticking out of the cap and I'm thinking, "That can't be good"."

IMO, that should have never happened.

Also, you posted: "What's left of the tooth is cracked in half. That's not going back on, we'll have to do an extraction", So he numbs me up and starts digging and pulling (I should point out that this is a three root molar, of course, not one of those smaller one root teeth - the good part is at least it doesn't show being that far back, LOL). Anyway, what's left of this tooth in my head is so brittle its coming out in pieces. He digs and pulls and digs and pulls and finally gets it all out after about and hour and a half of work. I'm bleeding like a stuck pig

Was the tooth cracked in half before and he just did not see it, or did it crack as a result of insufficient support after the cap went on? If it cracked following the previous procedure, tooth structure was already compromised at your previous visit and he should have seen that and judged that the cap would not hold without adding additional support. If what's left of the tooth was so brittle, why was a cap put over that foundation?

Also, nobody should have to endure an hour and a half of digging and pulling while hemorrhaging like a "stuck pig."

I know I don't know all the facts and I'm no dentist, but from the way you're describing things, I think you may want to get a second opinion from a Dr.

Regards

Caninelaw · #10 (**permalink**) 07-03-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sigma

Canine, from the way you're describing what you went through, the final outcome of the matter (extraction) may have something to do with skills and judgement of your doctor in reference to previous treatments and procedures.

At one point you said: "I look at it and there's a post sticking out of the cap and I'm thinking, "That can't be good"."

IMO, that should have never happened.

Well, that was because the tooth broke and the top 1/2 was still in the cap. Not his fault I practice dental abuse....maybe he should have pulled it last time, he almost did, but I was all for him not pulling it if at all possible.