First, a little about my teeth. I'm not sure what the main problem is or what caused it, so I will give details.
When I was young, I had TERRIBLE teeth. Almost all of them decayed and had to be removed. I always thought getting a tooth extracted or a root canal was "normal" and I guess this resulted in me fearing dentists in my adult life.
Fast forward.. I have all my adult teeth (all my molars) and the alignment is "perfect" as some dentists have told me. I used to see a dentist once a year but had to stop when I didn't have insurance. It has been about 8 years since I've seen a dentist.
I have a few concerns. First, I want to get my amalgam fillings replaced (mercury worries). I have 4. Also, I take Celexa and it causes extreme bruxism. I wake up with random pain in my mouth and tongue, usually because I was asleep chewing on my inner cheek or biting down hard.
This may have caused some craze lines in most of my front teeth.. though I read craze lines are normal in adults. Not sure why I didn't notice them till today though.
Anyway. Besides one bottom front tooth hurting when it touches something cold, I have had no problems with my teeth, nothing that would grab my concern. BUT..
My back left molar (furthest back) has caused pain on and off for years. The gums around it get inflamed and it becomes too painful for me to do any work, etc. The gums in the back of my mouth near the molar becomes swollen and reddish.
I can't stop tonguing it or biting to try to locate where exactly the pain is. This usually comes without warning and lasts about a week. It happens a few times a year.
The past few days I began noticing a similar thing happening in my right back molar. But it's not exactly the same. There's no swelling, and it looks like I have a scar on my inner right cheek, so I suspect I have been biting or chewing that area in my sleep.
How can I afford a dentist and (maybe) a root canal, and to get my amalgams replaced?
I am going for a dental checkup tomorrow, but the plan I'm on only covers Xrays and "Treatment Planning." Not the actual cost of the treatment, not even a % of it.
It seems like it would be cheaper to fly to India or Thailand to get these done!
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