Tooth broke ages ago..suddenly hurting..

[MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday]

Last Xmas a lost a chunk of tooth. I bravely popped in and they filed the edge down and said it looked ok, so didn't need any treatment at the time. At my check up in September my dentist had a look and said it was still ok but to come in if it started to give me any trouble.

A couple of days ago it started to prickle.. like a nerve when the dentists anaesthetic wears off, and today it has started to ache.. just a dull pain.

I know I need to go and make and appointment. BUT I'm terrified of the sound of a drill. I had Trigeminal Neuralgia a few years ago and had two teeth mistakenly removed before they realised what the problem wa,s and now I am just scared stiff. There is no option for sedation at my dentists or I'd jump at it.

What are the options for a broken tooth? (I don't want it removed,.,I've lost two ) and I certainly can't afford an implant. Can they fill it? What dies a crown entail?

Please tell me it wont be so bad:( I'd rather give birth than have a drill near me:(

Is the tooth a molar? Top or bottom jaw?

The only way you can avoid a drill is to have the tooth removed, I think - and that would be a shame if there's no need for it.

A crown would involve drilling down the tooth (sorry) so that it's a stump which a new tooth is then cemented to.

Or, maybe, they could do a Maryland Bridge, where your bad tooth is removed and a new one put in the gap with wings on either side that are cemented to the teeth next do it.

There's lots of if, buts and maybes & you really need to see what your dentist suggests. Make it clear that you are petrified of the drill & see what solutions they offer.

It may be that even if they can't do sedation at your surgery, they can refer you to somewhere that can.

Don't panic, though - modern dentistry provides solutions to these kinds of issues, which are very common. But please don't put it off - once a tooth starts hurting it can only get worse.

You have my sympathy though - I am fecking petrified of the dentist :(

it's a bottom molar..back end of the first big one nearest the front.
I am embarrassed at how scared I am:(

I'm just as bad. I broke a huge chunk off a top molar last week. I went to the dentist today. The X ray showed that the rest is about to crumble, even I could see it! When it first broke I was trying to eat on the 'other' side. However, my other side has those two bottom molars missing and I just got sore gums.
I would think about saving the tooth if you've already got some missing.
Where are your missing teeth?

Mine didn't break but had a fracture and was starting to break, and the dentist did an onlay. Maybe look into that?

harbinger what did the dentist do in the end. i was gonna start a threadbut have too many health related ones it's ridiculous.

my 5 yr old patch job on a back molar broke off last night. the tooth is root canalled anyway. i will prob lose it.

op, i can understand why you are feeling so stressed and scared, you have had a bad experience, i can't believe you've lost two teeth unnecessarily. There are ways to get treatment with sedation, you might get reffered by your dentist to a hospital dentist? I guess the first step is to see your dentist first. xx

Well, deep breath, the chunk that fell off is just the beginning, as another huge lump is about to fall off, as confirmed by X ray. Even I could see the next crack, normally I just nod in agreement, looking at some grey blur.

Anyway, it's not good news as the tooth next to it needs crowning at the same time (why?)

The only good news is that it involves no root canal work. (I had mentally prepared myself for removal if needed.)

Now to the really bad news, the appointment is on FRIDAY 13TH