Hello I am new to the boards and I have a question. In 1997 I had a really bad tooth ache- didn't go to the dentist. Over the years I have had aches in this tooth and on one occasion I had swelling that was noticable on the outside of my face. It went down and I have not had any problems since. the top part of the tooth is gone, but the bottom part of the tooth is still in the gum. Have not had a toothache in 2 or 3 years. This is one of my back teeth on the right hand side. My question really is, will this tooth kill me? I have NO $ to go to a dentist and no dental insurance. Has my tooth healed itsself? What kind of problem does this sound like? Any feedback is really appriciated! PS I always rinse with listerine-will this help?
Thanks,
joshesmommy


Healthboards.com is not a professional advice community. Members are not
to register with a healthcare professional title, or reveal or display a current
or future healthcare profession, in any way. The boards are to be used for
PEER support only. Healthcare titles lend undue weight to what is to be only
your opinion. Members may share health opinions and advice as PEERS.

Teeth don't heal themselves.

When you say the top part is gone, do you mean the tooth has broken off / apart ?

Teeth don't heal themselves.

When you say the top part is gone, do you mean the tooth has broken off / apart ?


Yes the top part of the tooth has broken off.

At the very least, that broken tooth is an ugly abcess waiting to happen. The nerve of that tooth might already be gone. These things just don't get better untreated over time. You should really get it looked at to see if there's any way (or not) to seal up and save the remaining structure.

Chances are, if the pain died down, the tooth is dead. You don't want an abcess to form though that may already have happened. teeth don't heal themselves! They are not cellular!

If the crown has broken off that's bad and you need to get it seen to!