I survived, but...

..... they found another rotten tooth dammit ((( and I'm now an additional
$420 in debt with at least another $thousand$ or so worth of repairs needed
to save three teeth that I'd lose otherwise. I hate losing teeth, would
rather be up to my eyeballs in debt than have to get any more yanked out!!

Gracias for all the purrs. I skipped breakfast and lunch, and stomach is
protesting but I won't be able to do anything about it for at least a few
more hours as my tongue is still numb....

Pat wrote:
.... they found another rotten tooth dammit ((( and I'm now an additional
$420 in debt with at least another $thousand$ or so worth of repairs needed
to save three teeth that I'd lose otherwise. I hate losing teeth, would
rather be up to my eyeballs in debt than have to get any more yanked out!!

Gracias for all the purrs. I skipped breakfast and lunch, and stomach is
protesting but I won't be able to do anything about it for at least a few
more hours as my tongue is still numb....

So you don't have to have any extractions? That's *is* good news. Be
sure to get your dentist's definition of "save". In my case, $800 only
saved a tooth for 3 more years. Not worth it, IMO. I'm glad you're
getting it taken care of. I never realized before how closely the heart
and teeth are related. My daughter is a cardiac care RN and she has
told us about patients that end up in the hospital with valve
replacement because of bacteria coming from bad teeth. Dental health
really is much more than ability to chew well and a pretty smile.

Sherry

wrote

So you don't have to have any extractions? That's *is* good news. Be
sure to get your dentist's definition of "save". In my case, $800 only
saved a tooth for 3 more years. Not worth it, IMO. I'm glad you're
getting it taken care of. I never realized before how closely the heart
and teeth are related. My daughter is a cardiac care RN and she has
told us about patients that end up in the hospital with valve
replacement because of bacteria coming from bad teeth. Dental health
really is much more than ability to chew well and a pretty smile.

The jury is still out on the rotten tooth. It may need to come out, and if
it does, the one behind will also have to come out. If they do, then at
least both sides will match! I will know more after the next visit. There's
one that can for sure be saved with a gold crown. Not my favorite procedure
but better than an extraction.

Pat wrote:
wrote

So you don't have to have any extractions? That's *is* good news. Be
sure to get your dentist's definition of "save". In my case, $800 only
saved a tooth for 3 more years. Not worth it, IMO. I'm glad you're
getting it taken care of. I never realized before how closely the heart
and teeth are related. My daughter is a cardiac care RN and she has
told us about patients that end up in the hospital with valve
replacement because of bacteria coming from bad teeth. Dental health
really is much more than ability to chew well and a pretty smile.

The jury is still out on the rotten tooth. It may need to come out, and if
it does, the one behind will also have to come out. If they do, then at
least both sides will match! I will know more after the next visit. There's
one that can for sure be saved with a gold crown. Not my favorite procedure
but better than an extraction.

Hope you *can* keep them. Having removeable dental work is going to
suck for me, I know I'm not going to like it. Do you have a little
more confidence and are less afraid now that you've been to the first
visit? Finding a good dentist is half the battle, if you like him. I
drive to the city to my old dentist just because I couldn't find one I
liked here. They were either too rough, or in one case, really
condescending. I don't need that, no one does.
My dentist once asked me exactly what I was afraid *of*. I practically
read him a list.
1. Pain
2. You'll drop an instrument down my throat and I'll choke to death.
3. I will involuntarily jerk and the drill will go clean through my
cheek.
4. I will die of sheer fright right here in this chair.

Then he started laughing, and I started laughing, and from then on I
really wasn't so afraid anymore. Because when it was said out loud, it
all just sounded so absurd even to me.

Sherry

wrote

My dentist once asked me exactly what I was afraid *of*. I practically
read him a list.
1. Pain
2. You'll drop an instrument down my throat and I'll choke to death.
3. I will involuntarily jerk and the drill will go clean through my
cheek.
4. I will die of sheer fright right here in this chair.

All my fears too, along with "Afraid you'll do something deliberately
damaging to make me need more dental work." Sometimes that gets them so mad
that they refuse to work on me at all, and when that happens I am sure I hit
the nail on the head.

"Pat" wrote in message
et...

wrote

My dentist once asked me exactly what I was afraid *of*. I practically
read him a list.
1. Pain
2. You'll drop an instrument down my throat and I'll choke to death.
3. I will involuntarily jerk and the drill will go clean through my
cheek.
4. I will die of sheer fright right here in this chair.

All my fears too, along with "Afraid you'll do something deliberately
damaging to make me need more dental work." Sometimes that gets them so
mad that they refuse to work on me at all, and when that happens I am sure
I hit the nail on the head.

Not to add to the paranoia, but the last time I went to a new dentist he
told me I had 8 cavities and needed a full mouth "scaling" (a deep
cleaning). Instead of letting him work on my mouth, and since I have had
*ZERO* cavities in the last 40 years, I (like Sherry) went to my old dentist
even though it was an hour and a half's drive away. He told me that I
didn't have any cavities and that my teeth needed only a very light, normal
cleaning!

At least with doctors you know when something is wrong, but how do you know
if you *really* have all those cavities (when most small cavities don't
cause any pain) - and when some dentist is only trying to finance his
Hawaiian vacation???! Had I allowed this guy to work on my mouth he would
have drilled 8 perfectly healthy teeth!!!

Hugs,

CatNipped

wrote:
Pat wrote:
wrote

So you don't have to have any extractions? That's *is* good news. Be
sure to get your dentist's definition of "save". In my case, $800
only saved a tooth for 3 more years. Not worth it, IMO.

The jury is still out on the rotten tooth. It may need to come out,
and if it does, the one behind will also have to come out. If they
do, then at least both sides will match! I will know more after the
next visit. There's one that can for sure be saved with a gold
crown. Not my favorite procedure but better than an extraction.

Hope you *can* keep them. Having removeable dental work is going to
suck for me, I know I'm not going to like it. Do you have a little
more confidence and are less afraid now that you've been to the first
visit? Finding a good dentist is half the battle, if you like him.

I wish the dentist I used years ago hadn't moved to another state. He's the
only one I've ever found who could literally give a painless shot in the
gums. I remember one time he had a new patient who was as leary of shots as
I was. He asked me if I'd go and tell the guy about how he gives shots! LOL
I could honestly tell the man I had no idea I'd just gotten a shot until my
mouth went numb.

The only problem I had with him was when I needed a crown. He didn't bother
to check with my insurance company about coverage; he selected a *porcelain
crown* which was not a covered expense! The tooth is in the back, there was
no need for it to be all pretty. Imagine my surprise when I got this huge
bill from his office. Of course there was no way I could afford to pay for
the darn thing. He was very, very understanding, however, when I called up
all upset. He didn't charge me a dime for it!

Jill

"Pat" wrote in message
news
.... they found another rotten tooth dammit ((( and I'm now an
additional $420 in debt with at least another $thousand$ or so worth of
repairs needed to save three teeth that I'd lose otherwise. I hate losing
teeth, would rather be up to my eyeballs in debt than have to get any more
yanked out!!

Gracias for all the purrs. I skipped breakfast and lunch, and stomach is
protesting but I won't be able to do anything about it for at least a few
more hours as my tongue is still numb....



Right now, I'm guessing you don't feel like survival is all its cracked up
to be.

Glad it is over, sorry about the extra tooth.

I hope your fur kids are up for purrs and sympathy and that you recover
quickly.

Jo

"Jo Firey" wrote

Right now, I'm guessing you don't feel like survival is all its cracked up
to be.

You're so right. I feel like crawling into a ball and dying. But there was
just no way I could continue not going to the dentist, the pain was too
severe and getting worse by the day. I've been on soft food for over six
years, waiting until I either found a suitcase full of cash or just couldn't
stand it anymore.

Glad it is over, sorry about the extra tooth.

Well, today's trauma is over but the whole of it has only begun.

I hope your fur kids are up for purrs and sympathy and that you recover
quickly.

They always are - my furry lifesavers.

Pat wrote:


"Jo Firey" wrote

Right now, I'm guessing you don't feel like survival is all its cracked up
to be.

You're so right. I feel like crawling into a ball and dying. But there was
just no way I could continue not going to the dentist, the pain was too
severe and getting worse by the day. I've been on soft food for over six
years, waiting until I either found a suitcase full of cash or just couldn't
stand it anymore.

Glad it is over, sorry about the extra tooth.

Well, today's trauma is over but the whole of it has only begun.


Ugh, this sounds like a nightmare. And even if you'd rather be in debt
than toothless, it's still no fun to be in debt.

Purrs for it to go well, with minimal discomfort!

Joyce