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Part 2

The Rest of the Story…

The details of the problem:  This happened to the far back tooth on the lower right side (#31).  I don’t have any wisdom teeth – which would have been #32.  (I never got any, some people don’t, but that’s a topic for another newsletter).  I had had a similar problem with this tooth 2 years before and a thorough cleaning of the gum around the tooth solved the problem, so I had that history to also take into consideration.

Pressure from the dentist:  The dentist wanted me to make an appointment with a specialist for a root canal or implant before I left the office!  I was still in pain (which would motivate a lot of people), but I had looked at the X-rays and he had confirmed that he couldn’t see any problem with the tooth itself or the root.  The only problem he could see was that the gum was really inflamed and there was a pocket of about 7mm.  [Note:  My teeth and gums are in excellent condition and I NEVER have a pocket over 3mm, so this was really unusual.]  This pain also started literally overnight.
With the pocket thoroughly cleaned out and some Arestin* put into the space (it’s a thick, antibiotic ‘goo’ that’s squirted into the pocket around the problem tooth), I was ready to get out of there.

(* Arestin stops the bleeding and acts like a bandage to keep out any harmful bacteria so the area can heal.)

Making the dentist unhappy: I was again asked what specialist I wanted to make an appointment with.  I politely declined, saying that I wanted Scott to review my x-ray (I had a copy printed).  This dentist knew that Scott was also a dentist, although not in practice.  In fact, they both graduated from Georgetown Dental School (different years), so he couldn’t very well tell me that I couldn’t get a second opinion from Scott!

If I had listened to the dentist when I was vulnerable and in pain, I might have made an appointment and had work done that I didn’t need.  Would the specialist have realized that there was no problem or would s/he have recommended treatment ‘just to be on the safe side’? This is the sort of question people are faced with on a regular basis.  How do you know the right decision to make?

How I decided:  Based on my past history with this tooth, that removing an irritant that had gotten below the gum line solved the problem last time and the fact that there was nothing suspicious on the x-ray, which the dentist confirmed, I decided to just wait and see.  When I got home, Scott completely agreed with my decision, and the dentist’s findings.

The dentist gave me a prescription for an antibiotic and pain meds (“Just tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you”).  I took neither.  I did take a couple of Advil for the swelling and so that I could sleep that night.  It took about a week for all pain to subside, even when chewing on that tooth and all is still fine.

Looking to the future: I know that this particular tooth may be a problem again.  But for now, I’m not doing anything further.  Because I have 5 root canals and several crowns, I do, eventually, want to find a good endodontist who will do a CBCT (cone beam computed tomography, a type of x-ray) scan which gives a very detailed, 3D image of the teeth and jaw.  I want to know if there is any infection or other problem lurking under the surface.  I also had a jaw injury 30 years ago and my TMJ has never been right. I’ll need to find an endodontist who is on-board with using a CBCT as a preventive, proactive measure – not just to diagnose an obvious problem.  Learn more about CBCT HERE.

In Summary – if you EVER feel pressured to make an immediate decision, especially one that will have major health and monetary consequences, stop and think.  Get a second opinion.  Chances are that waiting a day or two will not make any difference unless there is something OBVIOUSLY wrong that is only going to get worse if you wait.  Remember:  It’s your decision!

Of course, the best way to avoid nasty dental surprises is prevention.  Take excellent care of your teeth and gums, eat a healthy diet (this is probably the single most important thing you can do to take care of your teeth) and get cleanings from a well-trained hygienist twice a year.

Do YOU have a dental story you would like to share?  We’d love to hear from you!

Click HERE to submit your story.