Hi zahn

I was just wondering how you and your teeth are? as you haven't posted in a while. Kind regards

Dear Maz,

Thanks so much for asking!!! I really appreciate it. Sorry for being so late in replying; I've been checking the board regularly, but have been sooo busy I postpone replying to posts.
First, let me tell you that I feel really bad about your latest posts. If it were my tooth, I would get that cracked tooth pulled. Teeth with deep cracks have a poor prognosis (and cracks usually extend much further than visible with the naked eye), and you certainly have already tried to keep that tooth. Much better bet to spend the money on an implant.
As for me, my situation is strikingly similar to yours...
I did have that root canal in a molar that stretched over 6 months or so, 'cause pain continued. That tooth is somewhat calm right now, with a gold onlay. It does feel "funny" when chewing from time to time, so I wouldn't be surprised if it were cracked, and I may have to make a decision to pull sooner or later. From what I have learned from all my "friends" here, if it's cracked and gets reinfected, I will pull it, rather than waste money/time on retreatment.
As for my other teeth, I did post my experience a couple of months ago: It turns out that the reason this pain didn't go away after the root canal is because another tooth on that side had huge decay, not visible on an exam, nor on x-rays. Now I have temporary fillings on three of my teeth (after an onlay on the root canaled tooth and an inlay on another tooth. Decay under most of my fillings, not visible on the x-rays! And my endodontist was about to send me to a pain management clinic...
I have been disappointed in dentists as well. Despite regular visits to the dentist these past ten years (no work ever done), I now have a disaster mouth. My present dentist cares only about money (put a $140 temporary filling in a tooth that he treated without a treatment plan (he took an old filling out when the other tooth treated that day turned out to have huge decay), and only informed me afterwards that I can get an amalgam in that tooth (small filling), but I will have to pay another $190. $330 for a 2-surface amalgam in the end- who has heard about that!!! Why didn't he do an amalgam on that tooth in the first place then? (I know the answer: Doing the same filling as on the tooth behind-a bulk cured RMGI-saved a lot of time for him, as opposed to the bonded amalgams he does). Moreover, I have been having trouble with that temporary white filling (pain to chewing); I can see a space between the tooth and the filling with the nacked eye, and that's exactly the area that hurts upon chewing; he claims there is nothing (and charged me $60 to say that). And this is the only tooth that doesn't have deep decay... It would be a shame if that one needs a root canal as well.
Plus, this dentist doesn't want to do more onlays on me, unless I am willing to pay for a complete bite adjustment, since my bite is strange (it took him an hour to seat my onlay, as opposed to 5 mins for the inlay, plus another hour for the temporary onlay). I guess I'll have to find a new dentist. This one only cares about my money, not my overall dental health. At least my endo cared about ME!
In the meantime, I am waiting for more root canals and onlays (I am waiting for dental insurance to kick in); hopefully my teeth will last that long. I do have on and off pain, but it's better than before the caries removal, that's for sure.
At any rate, looks like our situations are pretty similar. I am glad that you've finally found a caring dentist. Let us know how it goes.

Hi, Zahn. I would definately find a different dentist!I can't understand how your dentist could charge so much, for a temporary filling. My gosh: after I have root canals, the build up needed afterwards only costs me $80.00! But that is with dental coverage. While waiting for your dental coverage to start up, you can research dentists now; find one that sounds like he's good (as long as you know what your dental plan will be, you should be able to find a decent participating dentist). That will make you feel better. You sound depressed about your teeth. In other words, you sound exactly like me, so often! People I know often can't understand how little things like teeth can get me so down sometimes. Shoot; I know of people that go for months and years will broken molars: big pieces of them broken off; and they have no pain. Me, anything can bother my teeth. Just try and look on the bright side of things. Right now, my teeth don't bother me much. Two root canals I've had done, bother me on and off. But the pain isn't intense..it comes and goes. I can live with it. I enjoy the periods when my teeth don't bother me much! My best wishes to you, Zahn. Deb47

Hi Zahn

I am sorry that you haven't got it all sorted yet,i think that is what makes it more stressful when you get one thing sorted and then another one crops up. I agree with what deb47 said about people not understanding the upset your teeth can cause you, i have never been so stressed in my life and am now seeing the doctor for it. Nothing else seems to bother me that much , i am having plastic surgery on my ear in a couple of weeks (ripped earlobe from a pull on an earring) and i hardly give that a thought.
I would look for another dentist if i were you you will hopefully find someone who cares about you and not just the money and i am sure you would be happier. I was beginning to feel like a freak for changing dentists so freqently when everyone i know sticks with the same one for years without any problems but it was worth the change this one does listen to me at least.
I still have the cracked tooth at the moment and am on my second lot of antibiotics for the current infection. The crack is horizontal and is no where near the gumline so i just don't know what to do. I have numerous problems that i haven't even discussed here and could do with at least 3 teeth replacing(2 already extracted), problem is i can barely afford one implant and if i have one where do i have it?. None of us deserve the poor standard of treatment we have received from people who are supposed to be professionals and it really does make you lose faith.My last dentist blamed me for all the deep decay i had but surely it was his fault that it wasn't spotted before it became so deep. I really can't see an end to my problems at the moment and i know yours are as bad as mine so i just hope that one day we will be totally pain free and happy. Kind thoughts

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Maz

[This message has been edited by maz (edited 11-19-2002).]