Horribly painful infected tooth; student w/o insurance
Added: December 04, 2007 - 9:39 AM
By: Patient Email Withheld, Denver Near Lakewood, CO
Need Dentist / Specialist:
Yes
Provide Cost Estimate:
Yes
X-rays Available:
No
Case Summary
Broken Tooth
Teeth: 20
Last Full Mouth X-Ray: 7 years ago?
Last Cleaning: 7 years ago?
Case Description
About 3 years ago I ate a stale gummy bear and when I was chewing it a big part of my tooth came off for no reason. It came off vertically down to my gums. It was a little painful but it stopped hurting so I never took care of it.
Over the last 2 months my mouth has been unbelievably painful below where the tooth is. I went to the emergency room and they gave me an antibiotic and pergocet. They are definitely helping, but I'm in slight/moderate pain all the time, almost out of medicine, groggy from the pergocet, and getting really scared.
What should I expect when I go to a dentist? What can I do to keep my costs down? I am in college and have no insurance. How much does it cost to have the infection cleared up and the tooth replaced? Also, is there any chance after 3 years and a horrible long infection that I might be able to just have a root canal and a crown over the broken tooth?
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Sounds like you have had a rough time. It also sounds like things have really gotten bad recently. You have some great questions-I''''''''ll give you some general suggestions. If it was serious enough to take you to the ER, then now is the time to get this problem resolved. If cost is your main concern, then you may just need to get this problem tooth out. Odds are low (but not impossible) that this tooth can still be saved. If it is a wisdom tooth, then it should simply come out. Sometimes that is covered by medical insurance if you read the fine print. If it is NOT a wisdom tooth, then some teeth are crucial to maintain and repair. IF it could be saved, it can be expensive to do all the steps necessary to properly rebuild it (it could require a root canal, then a build-up, then a crown). Some of your questions can only be answered by looking at the tooth and your situation. A good dentist should be able to lay out your options, estimate the costs for you and help give you guidance so you can choose an option that fits best for you.
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