Update On My Tooth Situation

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I saw the second Dentist earlier today and here is the rub...

He used what I thought was dry ice (?) and checked a number of the teeth for sensitivity. The suspect tooth (large molar) had no sensitivity and it was another tooth with cracks in the filling that was most sensitive. He also reviewed the x-ray that I provided him. Based on his investigation and reviewing the x-ray, he believes that the root is dead. He is not 100% sure and is willing to take the top off the tooth to make a final judgement, but he said that in his opinion the root is dead and something needs to be done. According to the Dentist, the ache I am suffering is the infection (which the antibiotics did not fix) and the soreness with biting down is the pressure on the abscess.

I am against root canals and strangely enough, the Dentist did not put up an argument when I said no to a root canal. My previous Dentist advised there were issues with root canals, so maybe the research is coming full circle now? At this stage, I have booked myself in for him to take the top off the tooth and if there is any signs of the root being partially alive, he is willing to help me try and get it to heal naturally. If the root is dead and totally dead, then he will extract the tooth. It is a big molar and will leave quite the space, but I see no other option. Long term, I am thinking that I will have a bridge installed with a fake tooth fitted to the bridge. I am not going the implant route either.

I really hope this is the right way to go in all of this. It seems that Dentistry is still going through research and a lot of people do not know enough about it. I posted some links above and nobody seemed to comment, so I am out of time now on this. The one thing that the Dentist did say was that if the root is dead, then there is no chance of ever healing the tooth, ever.
 

dbh25

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It is a big molar and will leave quite the space, but I see no other option. Long term, I am thinking that I will have a bridge installed with a fake tooth fitted to the bridge. I am not going the implant route either.
I lost a molar and left the space there. I haven't had any issues with it. My dentist always mentions an implant with a titanium screw. From what I understand with a bridge, they need to saw down two healthy teeth to fit the bridge. Good luck, I hope you can heal it naturally.
 
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Thanks.
I am not sure it can heal naturally if the root is dead. I am slightly hopeful, but I think it is a lost cause...
What was it like having the molar removed? I am dreading the thought and am a big pansy when it comes to medical procedures...
 

tara

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Maybe somebody else can weigh in on the pros/cons of a root canal vs. extraction.
The good root canal has served me well, AFAIK. One was not so good, and I was much happier when that tooth was removed. Depends a bit on where in your mouth, how likley you are to lose other teeth etc.

Thanks.
I am not sure it can heal naturally if the root is dead. I am slightly hopeful, but I think it is a lost cause...
What was it like having the molar removed? I am dreading the thought and am a big pansy when it comes to medical procedures...
I think they are probably right that if the nerve is dead it will not be able to recover.
I had a molar extracted a few years ago. I was scared of the procedure because I'd read that there can occasionally be serious issues. But I think they are usually OK. Mine was fine, and I don't miss the tooth. It will only become a problem if I lose too many more teeth as I age. I guess at that point I'll have to consider prosthetics. That tooth had been root filled years earlier, and had to be redone 3 or 4 times because the filling kept getting infected - the infections were distractingly painful. Eventually too much of the rest of the tooth fell apart, and it got beyond repair. I have another tooth that is root filled and did not have those problems with it - it's still there with a big filling on the top.

I'm a wus, and did accept anaesthetics for the extraction. They worked. I don't think I needed much if any more pain relief after that. It was sore that day, but not overwhelming. Have to be careful not to get chunks of food stuck in the gap while it's healing - can't remember exactly how long - maybe a week or so? You don't want to have to pick rice or peas out of the hole.

I believe that any infection in the mouth has the potential to travel to other tissues, including heart etc where they can cause serious trouble. I think Buteyko also said that focal infections in places that were hard to get rid of (eg teeth and nails) could contribute to keeping CO2 levels down (maybe via general metabolism?). So whatever else one may be concerned about with dentists, if they reduce the amount of infection in people's mouths, my guess is they are probably benefiting the wider health of the body. I know someone who got a heart valve infection with bacteria that likely came from the mouth. Fortunate to survive. Also someone who felt really fatigued and unwell for many weeks before getting rid of a tooth infection (that they thought was unrelated) and recovering energy and well-being very quickly.
 
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Thanks for your post Tara... It was greatly welcomed...

I am a grown man and terrified of Dentists, Doctors and anything medical. You should have seen me when the Dentist advised it was very likely needing to be extracted. I was sweating and I am sure the Dentist was wondering "what the heck is up with this guy"? The tooth is one of my biggest molars and second from the back. I have read and heard too much bad stuff on root canals, so I will never get one of these. I will go in to the Dentist next week with the expectation that the tooth will be removed. I am extremely nervous about it and am tempted to take a valium (or two) to calm my nerves on the day. Not sure this is a good idea though, so I may just have to put up with sweating and racing heart beat.

Huggins Applied Healing

I have heard of another Dentist warning about root canals and future heart issues. My dad had heart valve replacement and 20-30 years before that, he had issues with teeth.

This whole tooth thing has really gotten me down. Just makes me feel old I guess and I am only in my early 40's. Just very depressing...
 

dbh25

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Thanks.
I am not sure it can heal naturally if the root is dead. I am slightly hopeful, but I think it is a lost cause...
What was it like having the molar removed? I am dreading the thought and am a big pansy when it comes to medical procedures...
I was given a lot of Novocaine, I did not feel any pain. OTOH it isn't pleasant to have someone clamping down on a tooth and yanking from your mouth.
 

tara

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I am a grown man and terrified of Dentists, Doctors and anything medical. You should have seen me when the Dentist advised it was very likely needing to be extracted.
Mine was second from back too.
Possible ideas:
If you have someone in your life you can do role plays with before hand - so you can get to play with it as patient and dentist and see if you can find a way to sweat and shake (and hopefully laugh) a bit more about it before you get there - natural release of fear.
Tell the dentist that you are scared - s/he may have experience with helping make it less stressful.
Practice breath calming. I've found just holding my breath while in the dentists chair can be helpful for calming.
Eat well before you go in - both so you are not dealing with hunger stress while in the chair, but also because you might not find it easy to eat for a bit afterwards. Organise to have some drinkable food available for the first day afterwards.

There's a very good chance you will feel a great deal better a few days after it's done.
 
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I had the tooth extracted this week. It was too far gone.
What a traumatic experience. Painful experience and I certainly hope I never have to lose another tooth.
 

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I had the tooth extracted this week. It was too far gone.
What a traumatic experience. Painful experience and I certainly hope I never have to lose another tooth.
Sorry for the loss. But you'll get over it. It's an inconvenience. If it's a consolation, people with no teeth have perfect oral hygiene. :) I'm two down, so I'm ahead of you on oral hygiene.
 
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I saw the Dentist again yesterday for a thorough check up and follow up after the tooth extraction.

He took two x-rays and pictures of my teeth. According to this Dentist, the old amalgams have been a real issue for me. I only have one left now and plan to have that removed too.

Apparently the old amalgams that failed over the years were replaced with the modern day fillings, but the teeth were weakened and there are cracks now starting to show in a number of teeth. In short, the Dentist is proposing crowns with the hope they last 15-20 years.

The tooth right up the back seems to mostly be all filling and not much of the tooth is left. I don't seem to have any trouble with it at the moment, but the Dentist has warned I need to take action early in the new year and have it crowned or it will suffer the same fate as the tooth that was extracted.

Any thoughts on any of this? Thanks.
 

yerrag

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If you are wrapping the little tooth left with a crown, bear in mind that the crown can only go as deep as where the gum permits without causing you discomfort. There will always be a gap or a pocket of void space founded by your tooth, the crown, and the gum. These recesses are easily left uncleaned with regular brushing. Over time, they become colonized by bacteria and be hidden from your attention until an ache results. And your tooth will at that point be removed.

To keep that from happening, you need to make cleaning your tooth a more intricate and more lengthy routine. You will need to use oil pulling, jet spraying (carefully and gently though, to keep from hurting your gum), as well as floss and brush. You may also need to use a dental pick.

I had such a crown before, it lasted as long as my habits allowed it. Eventually it had to be pulled. I think routines go the way of gym membership easily. But we still sign up for gym membership, or fill our garage with stuff.
 
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Thanks for the reply.

I tend to use oil pulling now and then. I tend to rinse with Himalayan salt prior to bed each night though and am more consistent with that. Having two teeth pulled out on the one side would be a big issue with chewing I feel. Not saying it will happen, but I really want to avoid having another tooth extracted.
 
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@tara and @dbh25
I am only just starting to navigate food around in my mouth while chewing and am feeling the huge opening is a big negative. It was a very large tooth that was extracted, so the opening left is quite wide. The Dentist is advising that if I go with a bridge, I would need to consider it sooner rather than later as the teeth typically move. With the gap being second from the back, it is feeling hard to get used to.
How did you guys go? Kind of depressing for me... I hate having these issues...
 

tara

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It was a very large tooth that was extracted, so the opening left is quite wide.
Mine too. I got used to it after a while, and it doesn't bother me at all now. I will probably miss it if I lose more of the surrounding teeth, though. So I guess that's when I 'll think about a bridge. I can clean around its neighbours more easily now than I could before though, so maybe that will be somewhat protective.
I have a mouth full of fillings, and expect I will probably lose some more before I'm done with eating.
My teeth have not been well-aligned, and I've been slow at chewing and eating forever. This didn't make it noticably worse for me, once I got used to it, as far as I can remember.
Don't know what I'd do in your shoes, but my guess is there is a good chance your mouth will feel more normal in a few weeks.
 

dbh25

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Mine too. I got used to it after a while, and it doesn't bother me at all now. I will probably miss it if I lose more of the surrounding teeth, though. So I guess that's when I 'll think about a bridge.
I have a mouth full of fillings, and expect I will probably lose some more before I'm done with eating.
Don't know what I'd do in your shoes, but my guess is there is a good chance your mouth will feel more normal in a few weeks.
I agree, you get used to it. It's been around 30 years since the tooth was extracted, I still have the space. The molar above has descended slightly, since there is no tooth on the bottom to hit against when chewing. I've had no issues with it. My dentist recommends an implant. Research a bridge, my understanding is they saw down your adjacent teeth to fit a bridge. That can't be good to saw down healthy teeth.

I saw the Dentist again yesterday for a thorough check up and follow up after the tooth extraction.
Apparently the old amalgams that failed over the years were replaced with the modern day fillings, but the teeth were weakened and there are cracks now starting to show in a number of teeth. In short, the Dentist is proposing crowns with the hope they last 15-20 years..
I think this is true, I've had 2 teeth crack that were crowned, they had big amalgam fillings. I still have amalgams in other teeth that I would like to remove b/c of mercury concerns. I just have a feeling if a dentist starts removing/replacing the amalgam fillings, all these molars will crack and need to be crowned.
 
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I think I have found a Biological Dentist near me. I have only chatted via email with him so far, but think I will make an appointment to go see him. One thing that he has said so far is that with a tooth extraction, they have to do it properly and not leave anything behind. Apparently if something is left behind, this is really bad news. I am freaking out, because I am so not into anything medical related. The tooth extraction was horrendous for me and I am not sure I could go through another dental experience like that again.
The Biological Dentist appears to look really good to me. He seems to go into a lot of holistic care and I for one really like that.
 

tara

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Apparently if something is left behind, this is really bad news. I am freaking out, because I am so not into anything medical related.
I imagine it could be a problem if there is a bit of dead matter left behind, but AFAIK thins doesn't usually happen. Most likely it all came out cleanly.
The biological dentist sounds interesting.
 
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I imagine it could be a problem if there is a bit of dead matter left behind, but AFAIK thins doesn't usually happen. Most likely it all came out cleanly.
The biological dentist sounds interesting.

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is AFAIK?
 

tara

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what is AFAIK?
I mean 'as far as I know'. I hope that's what others mean by it too, else I've been misinterpreting them.:)
 
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Ha, ha... You are probably right and I am just not up on the lingo o_O
 

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