Friday, February 14, 2014

Tooth Ache


Tooth Hurting
courtesy photobucket.com
I knew something was out of kilter, but there were things to do and places to go, so I put off going to the dentist.

Finally I called my old dental office ran by a family and requested a different dentist.  They gave me an appointment in two days at 8:00 AM. 

X-rays were taken and the dentist gruffly said, “You have a deep pocket infection and the tooth cannot be saved.” 

I said, “Well I would like to save it.” 

He wrote out a referral to a specialist in the next town and said they probably will confirm my diagnosis.

His receptionist was kind to phone the other doctor and they said come in tomorrow at 4:00 PM.  She also phoned Wal-Mart Pharmacy for some Amoxicillin.

The next day, as they escorted me to one of the exam rooms, I could see their equipment was modern and up to date.  Their X-ray machine was digital and the Doctor took my photo with her camera, which went on my records. 

She also took photos of the inside of my mouth, and took new X-rays, as she said the one sent over was blurry and she needed a better X-ray to see the entire tooth. 

She confirmed that my tooth already had a root canal and was badly inflamed, I had much bone loss and the tooth needed extraction.  She explained that when a tooth already has a root canal and is infected, it cannot be saved. 
 
She said I could return to my dentist, or as this was an emergency, she would stay and extract it now.  She recommended adding a bone graft to the socket that would bond to my bone and give my jaw strength.  I agreed and told Robert in the waiting room what was to happen.

She was very good, and I hardly felt a thing.  The tooth came out in pieces, which took longer to remove, and in the process the crown next to it, became loose and fell off.

The doctor let me know that she would scrape and clean the tooth next to it, and glue my crown back on at no charge.

Well, that part of ordeal is over and a return was scheduled for next week to see how I am doing.

Because of the bone graft, the doctor recommended a soft diet, and cool foods.  What I did was to make a large smoothie with ripe bananas, yogurt, milk and a cup of applesauce.  This I placed in several glasses and froze.  
 
For breakfast I enjoyed some cool Cream of wheat. 

Also I made up a coffee mocha drink and froze it in several glasses.

Yes, I hurt, and am swollen, so I am taking IBPROFEN and AMOXICILLIN, and sleeping with my head elevated.

If I decide to have an implant in four months, the bone graft is already in place.

May all your days be pain free and no teeth hurting!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Very informative post. Your post really gonna help the people like me who are looking for such terms and info.... I am glad i visited here and learned.

Dental X-ray

Floyd said...

Oh man. This bodily pain is a real reminder of how imperfect we are. I'm sharing your pain with you this week, Hazel. A partial shoulder replacement on Monday afternoon has made this week a daze of pain. I have to remind myself, "This too shall pass."

Praying for your quick healing and pain to subside, sister.

Anonymous said...

I am SO sorry, dental problems are no fun at all...

Unknown said...

Getting the infected tooth right away was the right choice. Letting it stay for a few more days would have resulted in complications that would require a more extensive procedure. Anyway, how are you now? Always remember to return for checkups okay? Take care!

Clinton Zelman

Unknown said...

Tooth ache is always bad news to anyone. The pain can get worse if not treated immediately. Good thing you have a great dentist, and you didn’t even feel a thing during the process. How are you doing now? I hope you’re living your days pain-free!

Jason Dew @ Metro Dental Associates