My tooth has been killing me for the last couple of weeks and now the jaw is starting to hurt too. The pain is on and off and sometimes moves around. I got into an emergency dentist where I never have been before, so I’m not sure I completely trust him. After an x-ray there was a lot of decay found in one of my teeth that already has a filling. He was telling me that there was less than a ten percent chance of saving the tooth. Apparently this is because there isn’t that much tooth structure left. So he was talking about extraction. But first he said he would clean it out to see how deep it really is. Then, he said the likely treatment will be a dental implant or bridge. Of course, he recommended the dental implant with bone grafting.
Another big thing is that I get super nervous with any kind of dental work. I am a nervous Nelly and absolutely hate the dentist – no offense! It sounds like there isn’t any infection but he gave me an antibiotic just in case. I’m scared and confused, does all this sounds correct.
- Shana in Connecticut
Shana,
Sadly there isn’t a whole lot of specific information that can be given to you without having actually seen you in person. But, there may be some cause for being skeptical. This is because if this is the first time you have ever had a toothache, then the infection (or possible infection) is very recent. A tooth that needs to be extracted and cannot be salvaged is usually been one that has been bothering your for months. Also, if the tooth was truly not salvageable, an x-ray would not be required because it would have been very obvious that it needs to be removed. For example, it would usually be a big whole or area where the filling was missing, etc. Again, that is a generalized statement, every situation is unique.
Therefore, it is probably worth a second opinion. A word of advice though, do not go into the next dentist explaining everything that the emergency dentist told you. Go in without telling them anything. Let them properly diagnose the tooth and make their recommendations based on what is seen.
Also, if you are nervous or fearful, you may be a candidate for sedation dentistry. Nitrous oxide is a relaxant gas that can help you relax and sometimes it helps increase the effectiveness of the numbing agent. Or if you are particularly terrified, you may want to try a sedation dentistry technique called oral sedation (or in some states it actually anxiolysis) a sleep-like state that makes you so relaxed, you may not even remember your appointment.
It sounds like you need to get this taken care of sooner than later.
This post is sponsored by West Palm Beach dentist The Sadati Center for Aesthetic Dentistry.
