Teeth falling out - I’m so sad.

[Astridastro]

I have quite a lot of very large fillings and a root canal on my back teeth. Last year I started to get toothache on one of these heavily filled teeth, my dentist said I have to have it removed. He said I had to go to the dental hospital and be sedated as it was a complex job, it all went fine but I ended up with stitches and a painful dry socket, it took ages to heal too.

I was warned it could affect the tooth beside it? A few months ago a bit of filling felt out of it , then another bit and tonight 2 bits fell out so all I have left is one tooth wall (it’s got no nerve so not painful). I’m scared of the dentist as it is. Now I’ve got to go through all again and it still may cause other teeth to weaken.

im also going to have a large gap (luckily at the back) but still I’m terrified of bone loss and my jaw on that side shrinking. Implants would have to be the answer but the thought and the cost?

Argh!

It’s a bit much isn’t it! I feel for you, my teeth are more dentistry than nature. Implants are expensive but can be very good. I’ve got one I’ve had for ten years, I would definitely do it again, though it is eye wateringly expensive. Some of us didn’t get the genetics or nutrition and so our teeth fail, it’s no fun but it’s very common and dentists are great these days.

I'm so sorry, you must be very worried and it's hard not to catastrophise. I have the same worries about bone loss - sending 💐

Also sending hugs and empathy. My teeth are shocking through combination of genetics and taking awful care of them when I was younger. I'd say the majority are now v heavily filled, I already have a permanent bridge on 3 and I know I'm on borrowed time before I start losing lots. The thought of having few to no teeth, needing fake ones and looking like an old shrivelled woman is sad and terrifying.

Thanks - I know in the grander scheme of things it’s only teeth could be a lot worse. I phoned the clinic and got told a NHS appt is 9 months wait 😱 private much quicker and 3x more expensive. Luckily I can afford but imagine I couldn’t. It’s not too bad again luckily I’ve had root canal on the tooth with the huge hole so not in too much pain.

When I moved to the US my dentist was surprised that my molars with large fillings and my 2 teeth with root canals hadn't been crowned. Is that something you could look into for your other teeth? It will protect them from potentially breaking which could lead to you losing them. I still have one that hasn't had a crown yet and they are constantly warning me to do it at every check up. Not sure if that could be done on the nhs though.