Ugh, bad news

[Patryn]

Well, I went to the dentist the other day, thinking I was just going to have a cleaning, and suspecting I might need a filling replaced.

Well, I was right, I do need the filling replaced, which is really no biggie, but when the dentist came over to read the x-rays, he was asking the hygenist, with me sitting right there, mind you, "Is this actually there or is that an artifact on the film?"

It turns out I have something called an "internal absorption" in one of my molars, second from the back on the top left. What it basically is, and what he likened it to, is a peanut in a shell. The shell is fine, but the peanut is being eaten from the inside out. So the outside of my tooth is fine, but the pulp is being reabsorbed. I guess it happens when your immune system thinks for some reason that your tooth pulp is an invader and decides to get rid of it. It's not a symptom of any other disease, and they're not really sure how or why it happens.

What it boils down to is I lose the tooth. Now, being where it is, you wouldn't be able to see it too much, but though I have excellent health coverage, I have no dental insurance. I looked into online plans, but there's none in my area available. I can't afford this...the extraction and the resulting bridge is going to over $1,800.

Not to mention I have zilch for self esteem, and one thing to make me look any worse is not what I needed. It's especially awful since I'm too damn young for this to be happening already. I mean shit...it's just so frustrating.

Sorry, I just had to vent. Anyone else had this, and if so are there any other alternatives?

 

[KillerMuffin]

Damn that really sucks Patryn. I mean really. I had problems with my molars due to the disease known as "slow daily sippage of Mountain Dew" and it rotted my molars. I had to have three of them yanked. The Navy sprung for it, thank gawd, but I mean yuck.

I don't know anything about the tooth problem you have, but I do know that after the molars heal, you don't notice the lack. Neither will anyone else. You'll be as perfect as you are now. Play tonsil hockey with your hunky herpetologist, he won't have a clue. Anyway, do you really want to go around smooching guys who are too involved with counting your teeth to enjoy the Ultimate Patryn Kiss Experience? I have half a mind to smack that herpetologist. Wait, I just got ahead of myself didn't I. Oops.

Mmmmmmmm, don't join the military just so they pay to have your teeth pulled. Most dentists will work with you financially, if you don't have insurance.

 

[Always]

Gender Bender?

Whoa whoa whoa...

KillerMuffin, are you telling me that this Patryn person is a she?

 

[Patryn]

Jesus Shila, you ARE the bright one, now aren't you?

KM, thanks for the kind words. Nah, the man says it's not a biggie, and I know him well enough in the short time we've been seeing each other to know he means it. While that's really cool, it's a biggie for me. So Killer, please don't hurt him? That's my job.

It's just the whole "now they're gonna start calling me Cletus" stigma. At least it is to me.

 

[Laurel]

I just had a root canal on Tuesday. Boy, was that a blast!

Actually, it wasn't near as bad as I'd been led to believe - hurt less than a crown, actually. I have nice-looking, healthy teet, but the back ones all have 20-year-old fillings which are cracking, taking the tooth with them. Bastards. But root canals aren't as horrific as some say, for anyone facing one. There's pain for a few hours afterwards, and then that's it. Never had an extraction, except for my wisdom teeth. That sucked.

 

[Carl East]

Laurel: I just bet you have nice teets.

Patryn: $1,800 fucking hell, you might as well get on a plane, come over here and have them done for half that.

Carl.

 

[Laurel]

LMAO! That was supposed to be "teeth", of course. I can't vouch for the rest - you'll have to ask Manu.

 

[Guest]

Patryn: $1,800 fucking hell, you might as well get on a plane, come over here and have them done for half that.

Carl.

Are you saying the cost over there for things like this is much less? Ok, I'll be right over!.

- Moon

 

[Carl East]

LMAO! That was supposed to be "teeth", of course. I can't vouch for the rest - you'll have to ask Manu.

Don't lie Laurel, that was a diliberate, COME ON, that you wanted me to respond too.haha

Carl.

 

[Cheri]

Patryn have I told you today how smart sexy and slick you are? If not consider yourself told. As for your teeth, you are more than the sum total of your parts. Besides a having or not having a tooth will not prevent you from being the sexy woman you are. See if the doc will let you set up a payment plan, and at least feel like you are taking care of things.

 

[Never]

Patryn isn't a man?

I remember my root canal a few months ago. The dentist was drilling out the remaining nerve while talking to the assistant about stock options. My mouth was pried open, bright lights blared in my eyes, and my head was filled with a grinding noise as he hit pay dirt and a sudden mist of blood sprayed from my mouth onto my face.

It was surreal in a painful way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wonder what the teet fairy leaves under your pillow?

 

[Laurel]

Carl - damnit! Am I that transparent?

Never - that reminds me from that scene in Alien, the famous one with John Hurt.

Cheri's right (again). Most dentists WILL work out payment plans with you, despite any "you must pay up front blah blah" garbage - especially in the case of serious oral surgery such as yours. Why did they decide on a bridge rather than an implant? Is it a molar?

 

[RonG]

Oral surgeons are a stitch

I had two molars removed and my wisdom teeth taken out at the same time a few years back. I asked the surgeon who was going to do the work (a friend of mine, btw), "After I come out from the anesthesia, will I notice anything different?"

He tells me, "Well, our female patients wake up to find their underwear on backwards but you won't notice anything." Smartass!

I agree with everybody else, having a couple of molars out ain't a big deal.

 

[Guest]

Sorry to hear about that Patryn. Things like this always seem to happen when you can least afford them.

[/B]

Are you saying the cost over there for things like this is much less?[/B][/QUOTE]

Dental treatment in the UK is pretty inexpensive, really. I think the National Health Service cover a lot of the costs.

Also - if you're unemployed (as I officially am at the moment) you get all your dental work done for free.

 

[Sonora]

Patryn, I had to have the molar 2nd from back on the bottom removed. The dentist (I was at college at the time) told me that the back one would move forward and fill in it's place. Well, what happened was the molar on top started coming down into the hole. Gravity I guess. Well, my current dentist put this temporary thing in place of my tooth. I can't remember what she called it but it was like a bridge but instead of anchoring to the teeth on either side, this was attached to just one tooth with a wire band. She said that it would only be temporary and need to be replaced in a couple of years. I'd say that it lasted 5-6 years at least. It was just like getting the bridge done with the impressions and all. Just a hell of a lot cheaper!!

You also might check out if there is a dental school in the area that might do it.

 

[FlamingoBlue]

Think about an implant....

They cost about the same and you do not have to grind down any surrounding teeth. Check it out.

blue

 

[Guest]

Re: Think about an implant....

They cost about the same and you do not have to grind down any surrounding teeth. Check it out.

blue

Gee blue you have such GOOD advise. Glad you are not my dentist.

mumbling to myself as to why I decided to check out all my old threads. will this nightmare ever go away?

 

[Cyan BloodsBane]

Patryn: $1,800 fucking hell, you might as well get on a plane, come over here and have them done for half that.

Carl.

Are you saying the cost over there for things like this is much less? Ok, I'll be right over!.

- Moon

Its only $800 here hehe and thats in canadian.. so i think that works out to be 80 cents hahahha lol