To think that just under half a molar is perfectly adequate and I don't need to go to the dentist?

[HoneyDragon]

If you were near me, I'd take you to my dentist. He's lovely, very sweet and gentle, and a bit like a chipmunk. Think cheerful Penfold from Dangermouse with a drill

YABU-to yourself...

I ignored a molar that had cracked, very quickly adapted to not eating that side etc, all was good. Then it started niggling one night...nothing major, it'd settle, I thought. By morning after very little sleep it was puffy and by afternoon the side of my face had swollen to the point where I was unable to open my mouth more than inch. I managed to get an emergency appointment with my dentist for the next morning and spent the night sobbing and banging my head against the radiator, I've never felt such agonising, unrelenting pain in my life.

The dentist couldn't examine me obviously so prescribed me antibiotics and told me to take ibuprofen to reduce the swelling and return in three days. By that afternoon I was vomiting and just before dinner I was admitted to hospital as the swelling went from my ear across to my nose then down my face and finished just under my jawline, it was pressing on my throat.

Tests showed that the infection had entered my bloodstream (sepsis) and was making me very poorly indeed, I spent over a week in hospital on IV antibiotics and left with more. It took a fortnight for the swelling to disappear completely and I ended up losing the tooth plus some surrounding jawbone. A filling would have been a slightly uncomfortable injection then some unpleasant sound effects for half an hour, it took weeks to recover properly.

Please, please, please go get it filled, it's not nice, I know it's not, I hate the dentist, but it's not worth the risk, it's really not.

Crown = ceramic or gold or polymer fakey tooth that gets glued onto a post that they put into what's left of your real tooth after root-filling it so there's no nerve to go mad.

Penfold with a drill?

Do you remember how thick his specs were?

My dentist lovely. I take the children. I just don't see him myself.

Last time I went for a check up (about 6 years ago) I started crying in the waiting room

I'm not havering that done a Thumb

Nods along with mumtobetothree - y'see what can happen?? It's Not Good.
If you want to salvage tooth, you go dentist. You go quick before abscess.

Go and see your lovely dentist. Mines lovely too, which is a relief after the butcher I had before that.

They'll be used to people crying/fainting/nervousness etc... Go.

Can you have general anaesthetic? You might have to go and see proper hospital dentist person (dental surgeon type) if you can't cope with normal dentist

Erm, what do they do root canal for? It sounds horrible. I shouldn't be reading this - am going to the dentist tomorrow for precisely this scenario

I'm going to have to phone my mum, I don't think they'll let me take Hullygully with me

I've just realised I can't even flounce 'cos you bastards know my RL identity

Root canal filling = removal of nerve and live tissue then fill the space with filling. It basically kills the tooth so stops the pain and any chance of infection and is, I believe, necessary before crowning.

Well realised!

Take it from a fellow coward, you need to go.

You take the children, but it's no bloody good if they don't see you getting check ups and treatment.

If it hurts, you get it seen. I've told you how bad my mouth is andI'm not going to mine but only because the broken teeth were ones that already been root filled and haven't threatened to abscess.

Go on, Honey. Please?

Please go soon. I am terrified of dentists as I have short roots and bugger all enamel (thanks genes ).

I have lost four teeth in just over two years and it sucks. I get abscesses almost immediately if I damage a tooth and they are agony. DH says its worse than when I was in labour as I am clearly in more pain and It's true.

Teeth being pulled is not that painful (I have lots of experience). If you catch a big filling/root canal before infection kicks in it's normally fine too (equally experienced on remaining teeth).

Have you tried listening to music through earphones? It can help with fear.

I have half a tooth missing to the point food can go right into the hole.

They are not taking my remaining tooth. For the longer it is painless the longer i can put off the dentist!

Oh and I too have a phobia, tears stream down my face while they're working. My legs move a lot and I sweat through all my clothes. Warn them and they will work around it. Xx

If I were nearer, I would come with you and hold your hand.

But Stratter5 and Thumb are exceedingly wise and clever women! and you know they are right. Get thee to a dentist, post haste.

Jersey! You're playing Russian Roulette with that, you know.

"necessary before crowning" The dentist didn't mention root canal. I shouldn't have asked here should I?

Fanks, SDTG :)

C'mon Honey - you'd be the first to tell anyone else to sort it out.

If you don't want a crown there are other options but none of them on the NHS, I don't think - you can have an implant after the tooth is removed, you can have a tooth on a plate (is it a top or bottom one?), or you could have a bridge (where the tooth next to it is filed to a point and then a cap put on that has another fakey tooth attached to it, so you end up with 2 fakey teeth being glued to one root, not the one that is currently under discussion though)

Dulling, DD1 managed a root canal when she was 11, you must be braver than my faint-at-the-slightest-excuse daughter.

Ring in the morning. I will nag until you have told me your appointment time.

I hate the dentist. I too have to be sedated. I have toothache. Tonight I just know I'm going to have nightmares about Penfold with a drill.

Swedish - it's not 100% necessary, apparently, but it's what they usually do. Ask your own dentist though.

C'mon Honey - you'd be the first to tell anyone else to sort it out.

Yeah well I can't be sensible all the time.

I've just looked up how much having a crown will cost

They'll have to pull it.