wolf Goes to the Dentist.
 

Dr. Bill is very cool, and is the dentist that I have been seeing since I was in college. I noticed today (because I had some time staring at his certificates while he was drying my x-rays) that I have probably been seeing him throughout the entire length of his practice.

Why was I waiting for x-rays to dry today, you may ask?

Okay, probably you wouldn't but since I started the thread I might as well tell you.

Yesterday, my tooth hurt intermittently.

Today, I woke up with the entire left side of my face up to my eyeball swollen and the pain worse.

I had to take momwolf to a PCP visit today (not a good visit, she's scheduled tomorrow for a mammogram and ultrasound of her breast, has family history of breast cancer), and so the only time I had to try to schedule with my dentist was while I was in the waiting room at her PCP's office, staring at the signs that said "NO CELL PHONE USE IN THE WAITING ROOM."

I was ready ... were I challenged I was going to announce "This is no mere cell phone, buddy ... this here's a motherfuckin' Crackberry!" Didn't have to use it. Basically nobody cared that I was on the phone in the Waiting Room.

Dr. Bill knows that I do not call him requesting an emergency appointment very often. In fact, I don't think I've called him for an emergency-emergency appointment ever. I did beg my way into an earlier appointment some years ago over a fractured tooth, but I think that meant that I waited a week and a half instead of the usual two months that he books ahead.

So, he gets me in, but not so quickly that I was able to just take momwolf along with me. Had to take her home and then drive back nearly as far as her PCP's office.

So, yeah, I have an abscessed tooth. It's my first.

I'm off work tonight, and intend to cozy up with my antibiotic, a nice cup of tea, and some of Dr. House's little helpers.

This is not an April Fool's Joke.

Prayers would be appreciated.

ramen

Poor baby. I have been there & done that. Not fun.

Actually I have a dentist appt. tomorrow morning. I haven't been in years and I'm afraid the dentist is going to flip out when he looks in there. Then he's going to get on the phone with the nearest Porsche dealer.

Eeek! That really sucks. :( Feel better soon, and good luck to Momwolf too!

may the Goddess of Vicoden treat you well, wolf.

prayers and good vibes along with your tea. :kettle:


eta: if you take two vicoden and then really chug a beer...no, don't do that. You'll get a dry socket.

I hope your feeling better soon. And let me know the next time you need a cavity filled. ;)

It must be the Vicoden ... this can't be real ... you're offering to switch hit? I mean I know I am completely amazing, but I turned Sheldon straight?

Hotcha!

April Fool's! :D

Fishing in les poissons d'Avril.

If you had shopped around in the right places, you might have got that tooth fixed for $135.

Hope you get your pucker power back soon.

Oh baby! All of a sudden I just want to play sports, bang women and drink beer! Oh wait. It's me again.

Bring on the boys! lol!!!

I just got back and found out things aren't as bad as I'd feared. It's only gonna cost me $1700 to do the remodeling work. (sigh)

How's yours going, Wolf?

I am scheduled for extractions on April 17. I have no idea what this is going to end up costing me, but as it happens the nearby oral surgeon my dentist suggested is in-network for my really crappy dental coverage.

I have learned that my insurance does not pay for full anesthesia.

Has anyone had extractions done under just novacaine? How torturous is it?

My only experience with having teeth pulled was my wisdom teeth, and I was full under in a short procedure unit of a hospital for that.

I had almost all my baby teeth out (some before their time) with only nova + nitrous. All the extractions were unremarkable.

I had extractions done under just novacaine done when I was about 12... I don't remember it being that painful.

I recently went to the dentist because I have dental insurance now and it had been a LOOOOOONG time since I had been. Long story short, two cavities - one that is a possible root canal and deep cleanings every 3 months. Most of which is happening wednesday, 4/8.

Juvenile tooth extractions aren't so bad, because the roots are very short. Adult tooth extractions can be very upsetting because the roots are deep and strong. If you can get nitrous, please do so! I'm sorry you have to go through this, and I hope it goes very smoothly.

It won't "hurt", but it won't be pleasant. :sniff:

wolf,

As a pre-teen, one of my adult front teeth was accidentally broken. A root canal was done and a crown affixed. A few years ago, the underlying tooth gave out. I elected to have a dental implant which entailed oral surgery. The remaining tooth was extracted, the gums incised, a hole was drilled into the jaw bone, a threaded titanium post embedded, the gums sewn back together, and I was wide awake for the entire procedure which was done with local anesthetic and without nitrous oxide. The only pain I felt was the insertion of the needle when the anesthetic was injected. That stung enough to autonomically make my eyes tear; but, lasted only a few seconds. After the gums healed, an artificial tooth was threaded onto the titanium post and permanently sealed. It will last me the rest of my life.

I had an advantage going into the procedure in that I knew what to expect. My prior military occupation as a Special Forces medical specialist included formal training in basic dentistry (i.e. administering anesthetic for nerve blocks and local infiltration, simple extractions, excavations, and temporary restorations). On my first day of clinicals (on the job training), I performed 17 extractions. My supervising dentist was looking over my shoulder for the first two and then he was down the hall, in his office, should I need him for the rest. I subsequently performed many more extractions.

Here's the deal:

When the needle is inserted to inject the anesthetic, you may feel a sharp stinging or burning sensation; but, it will last for only seconds. There may be several injections depending on which tooth is to be extracted. Once an area is numbed, subsequent injections to keep it that way do not hurt if you alert the dentist at the first inkling of pain sensation (which may not occur at all depending on the duration of the procedure).

While you're completely numbed up, you may still perceive a disconcerting amount of pressure (not pain) being applied to the tooth and jaw as the tooth is rocked in its socket to loosen it, levered up and/or pulled out. Sometimes a tooth can be alarmingly stubborn due to its contours. I've seen a dentist spend a lot of time wrestling with a tooth to avoid complications.

It there are complications (e.g. the tooth won't loosen enough to be pulled out intact; or, the crown breaks), the dentist may use a drill to bisect the tooth an take it out in pieces in which case you may perceive a disconcerting amount of vibration (not pain).

The entire procedure can be messy, noisy, aggravating, fatiguing, and even disappointing if complications arise. More typically, all goes smoothly and it's just an annoying inconvenience for anyone with a decent pain threshold.

It's somewhat analogous to learning to shoot centerfire. At first, the recoil seems like it should be painful; but, you immediately realize that it isn't. Still, the recoil is quite disconcerting, so you flinch. After awhile you get used to it though it remains a nuisance. A few hundred rounds later, your hands get fatigued and you're not having fun at all anymore. Now you're hoping there aren't any malfunctions so you won't have to perform immediate action drills; because, you have to keep shooting until the dentist says you're free to go. :D

I had my wisdom teeth taken out about 12 years ago. I was in the same boat as you. Insurance would not pay for anesthesia.

I don't remember the pain being too bad, but the sound is terrible. I was sure they broke my jaw.

My husband just got $3000+ done with "conscious(SP) sedation" They almost all the way put him out.. and my insurance paid 80%

My dental work is not yet done. I must return Thursday to have the permanent crowns put in, on top of two root canals and three cavities, plus moderate enamel deterioration. All uppers and three lowers. I will have the rest of the lowers crowned soon to complete the set, but that will wait until I save up money. I have a dentist in the fambly, in Mexico. He put me, the big chicken in a dentist office, under totally, for which I was eternally grateful. I once tore a hole in the chair padding during a simple repair of a filling gone bad. Cost me $200 extra for the magic shot. Oh, and 30 extra minutes for the anesthesiologist to come in. Total bill, $3300, for which my dental plan will be billed double, in case they disallow some parts and maybe a little extra to the RV savings acct. Try coming here next time, I was favorably impressed, for the first time ever. Fastest service I ever had, and only one small form to fill out. Despite twenty or so people waiting, I was seen in minutes and fixed in less than two hours.

My only minor beef was the procedures were conducted in Mexican, which was translated by a handy-dandy translator plus my wife to help him over the rough spots.

I'd go back, which is something I NEVER thought I'd say about a dentist.

Two fillings down, one more to go in two weeks. One of my teeth was only filled with a temporary filling. The dentist said it was pretty bad - thus a root canal is inevitable or if I want, I can just have the teeth pulled. If it was the very last molar, I would probably just have it pulled, but it's the second to the last one, so I guess root canal it is.

Are root canals really as bad as people say?

The drilling and grinding seemed to be par for the course as for a regular fililng, but more so.

What I was not prepared for was the smell of the melted plastic that was used to fill in the hollowed-out space. :headshake

The antibiotic seems to be working, no pain at all ... just have to get momwolf through her surgery and I can go back to obsessing over having my teefs yanked.

Thank goodness for small mercies, wolf.

I gotta find me a dentist here in MD. I have pretty good teeth, thanks to Indian genetics, but I still need the cleaning and xrays from time to time.

Ok. IF you want the antibiotic to work and refuse pain meds, that's on you.


I'd buy them from you as you very well know.


lovevibes to your mom....she brung you up right.

FUUUUUCK.

Maybe next time I need an extraction, I'll go for the full-under.

There was some infection under the root on #13, and I had pain despite three rounds of novacaine.

The one on the other side (#5) just didn't want to let go and he had to resort to the drill.

It's time to take some Vicoden.

it's Vicoden Friday!


YAY!

So sorry Wolf. Enjoy the Vicoden!

I'll bet that dentist even kept your extracted teeth to put under his pillow at night and collect 50 cents from the tooth fairy ... the bastard.

Anti-dentite.

Hope you feel better, wolf!

She's a rabid anti-dentite!

"That's Dr. Abbott, DDS. Tim Whatley was one of my students, and if this wasn't my son's wedding day I'd knock your teeth out, you anti-dentite bastard."

That fucker! That explains the Mercedes in the parking lot!

wolf, I've blamed you for my hellish nightmare in the Cellar Dreamin' thread.

you witch!