Help! Toothache;***update June 18

[***Heather***]

Since Friday afternoon, I've had a toothache. Friday it was my actual tooth that hurt. Saturday when I woke up it was my jaw. Sunday it was under my jaw, closer to my neck. Today it still hurts, but less.

I think I have an abscess/abscessed tooth (whatever: ). At 9am I will be calling the dentist. What I'd like to know is, is it serious enough to push to get in asap? It feels like the pain is moving lower on my jaw but I don't know if it's going away or going deeper, KWIM?

To top it off, I'm looking for a new dentist because my old one is hard to make an appointment with and is a 45 min drive away. I want to find someone in town.

And yesterday was our first wedding anniversary but we didn't get to enjoy it because of my toothache.

[MomToKandE]

If it were me I'd definitely want to be seen today.

[***Heather***]

I just feel weird calling an unknown dentist and demanding to get in today. Especially if it was getting better on its own. I can just see myself going in and having the dentist say "what? THIS was an emergency?"

[mightymoo]

If you are in pain, its an emergency. Dentists can prescribe pain killers and abx if its necessary, so definitely call.

[MomToKandE]

If it hurt bad enough that you couldn't celebrate your anniversary it must have been pretty bad. If you call and explain the situation the dentist may talk to you on the phone, assess the situation, and either ask you to come in today or tell you it sounds like it could wait a day or two and schedule an appointment for later in the week.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by ***Heather***

Since Friday afternoon, I've had a toothache. Friday it was my actual tooth that hurt. Saturday when I woke up it was my jaw. Sunday it was under my jaw, closer to my neck. Today it still hurts, but less.

Go ASAP. The "right" dental problem can actually be a threat to your life, so I'd call around until someone can see you.

[***Heather***]

Ok, problem solved. I called the "big, expensive" dentist in town and was able to get an apt for 3:40pm. They have 15 dentists at the one company. Most around here are 1 or 2 guys. DH used to go there when he was a kid. He said they're good but expensive so I thought I should go for one of the smaller guys. Then it hit me. We finally have dental insurance!!! Paying 10% of a huge bill = affordable.

And the receptionist was really nice and she spoke english. I hope the same goes for the dentist.

So now I'm thinking Yay! I get to go to the dentist/crap I have to go to the dentist.

[***Heather***]

Well.

I need a root canal.

I actually need 2 root canals, but apparently one tooth is so far gone it has to be pulled. It's way in the back, so I'm hoping I won't notice IT NOT BEING THERE!

The guy was a tad bit condescending too. Full of "tsks" and head shaking. Look Mr. Rich Dentist. Not everyone has money. I worked a minimum wage job while my husband went to school. We had to pick and choose where our money went. Now that DH has a fantastic job with fantastic pay and fantastic dental insurance we're fixing our teeth. Do you want our business or what?!!! Gah!!!

Crazy thing is, this so called "bad tooth", the one that's so bad it has to be pulled, didn't even hurt or anything. The one that hurts now is the one due for a root canal. Cost: $1000. I'm getting real scared, but dental is supposed to cover 90% of it. It says that in The Book, but I won't feel good about it till it's over and done with.

Do root canals hurt? (Please say no, please say no)

[Beth-TX]

In my experience, root canals are no worse than regular cavities. They just take a little longer. I've never experienced any pain afterwards, either. And I've had several.

Good luck, and try not to worry!

peace, Beth

[SleeplessMommy]

Once its completed, there will be no pain from that tooth. Though there might be a little gum soreness for a few days.

I would get root canal procedure rather than have the tooth pulled, definitely.

[mightymoo]

Originally Posted by ***Heather***

Do root canals hurt? (Please say no, please say no)

Nope, they numb you up good and you don't feel a thing, its just like a regular filling, annoying.

However, I disagree with the PP who said that there will be no more pain from that tooth - eventually that will be true and for most poeple recover a lot faster than I do, but I've had two root canals and it took a long time for both to actually be painfree - the gum around the base of the tooth gets inflamed or something, but my first root canal hurt for about 2 years whenever the tooth got hit (it was a front tooth), and my most recent one I ended up with an infection or something and my whole jaw ached for weeks and I had to be on two different abx and the tooth is now (about 6 months later) pain free when chewing, but I can still push on it and it will hurt a little.

I think my experience is abnormal (I also need extra novacaine every time I have to get a tooth drilled - last time I couldn't feel my inner ear he had to give me so much) - but I thought I would throw it out there so you'd be prepared for the possibility.

Definitely would do the root canal over pulling the tooth though!

[***Heather***]

The dentist's helper (whatever her title is) told me that root canals are more painful because it's hard to get the needle in far enough to numb the root.

The more I think of it, the more the dentist bothered me. He had such an attitude and he wasn't very gentle. At one point when I was getting an xray done, I had to bite on that thing they use. It was super long so that they could see the roots. Well, he placed it in my mouth but it was cutting into the underside of my tongue. He was telling me to bite, bite! I said I couldn't. I don't know if he's an ass, or if it was a language problem, but he tried to force my mouth shut with his hands. As soon as he let go, I spit out that thing. Once it was repositioned it was ok. I really thought it had cut my mouth.

I'm feeling really unsure about this dentist.

I'm also glad to hear that root canals are fairly common. He made me feel like I would burn in Hell for it.

[mightymoo]

Those bite tabs always hurt, especially when taking pictures of the root - they suck. He obviously didn't treat you well while doing it, but the design of them sucks.

Now, when I got a root canal (both of them, and they were on different coasts, so different dentists each time), I didn't get it through my regular dentist, I went to an endodontist - that's a dentist who specializes in root canals. You can go to any endodontist you want, if you don't like this practice, see if you can find someone to recommend another one. You said it was a big practice, maybe they have an endodontist as part of the practice, I'd be surprised if it was the same dentist that would do the procedure.

Oh, and it shouldn't hurt while doing it because they numb you up like for a usual filling, then they drill in enough to reach the root and immediatley bath the root directly in anethestic - so if it hurts, it should only be very briefly, it doesn't take them more than 20-30 seconds of drilling to get to the root and do that.

[gabbyquilts]

Call you insurance and tell them what you are getting, we have "ok" insurance, they pay 80% of some stuff only and they cap off at a certain amount and its only $1000.
Just something to look into.
good luck
gabby

[smeep]

I had a root canal as a kid and it hurt like a ... mind you this was a dentist that cheated everyone out of everything. Charged my parents on a root canal for my sister that NEVER happened. Used minimal pain relief. Was a jerk. etc.

I'm waiting for my medicaid to kick in, hopefully I can see the dentist I saw a year ago...he was so great, I never had a good dental experience until him (and never since).

I HATE the U.S. sometimes, especially with dental stuff. Why do we have to pay out of our butts to keep from being in agony? I can't afford to keep my teeth nice. It should be a RIGHT to have pain-free and healthy teeth. I really wish the stupid U.S. would take a page out of other countries' books.

And how dare that dentist tsk at you, not everyone has the money to pay for their teeth, some of us live paycheck to paycheck and can't afford to blow $1,000 every time a tooth needs to be fixed.

[A&A]

My root canal hurt like hell. Hope yours is better!!!!!!

[***Heather***]

We don't have dental in Canada. This is the first time we've had dental insurance through work. They are supposed to cover 90%, no deductible, but there's a limit of $1500 per person per year. So this one tooth is taking up 2/3 of my amount.

After thinking about it, I've decided to let him do the root canal, but I'll go back to my regular dentist two towns over.

[***Heather***]

I just got back from the dentist. The root canal itself didn't really hurt much. Every now and then I felt a little ping of pain but nothing extraordinary.

But (and this is so embarrassing) I felt sick. As in we're halfway through and they had to stop for a minute put a cold wet cloth on my forehead and tip me up to make blood go to my head. Then they started again and had to stop for 10 mins while I got up, walked around, went to the bathroom. They got a 7up for me and kept asking if I had breakfast. I did.

I think I felt funny from the needles they gave me. First the dentist gave me 2, waited, then gave me 2 more because I still had feeling. Then halfway through, they gave me another needle for a total of 5. I felt lightheaded, dizzy, breathing weird, butterflies in my stomach and cold hands and feet. Possibly it was a panic attack. I don't know. But it wasn't pleasant to feel like that with metal clamps in my mouth and rubber sheeting stretched across my face. : I still feel woozy. Part of my head is numb just above my ear.

[mightymoo]

I found the anethetic they used for my root canal made me shake, it was probably a reaction to the anethesia - it was different from the stuff my normal dentist gives me for a filling. It wasn't that bad though.