I feel like a small part of me is missing.
filed in Just a rant on Jan.09, 2009
Well damn! That’s because it is! lol. I had a dental appointment for my broken tooth at 10:30am. I knew it was bad because 1/2 the tooth could wiggle back and forth, while the other half remained stationary. mmmmmm. And I was told I needed a crown on that tooth five years ago. (When I got the root canal in Jan. 04) Since I’ve had 3 kids in braces, the idea of me getting some of the crowns I need (5) is not something that I consider.
So, to make a long story longer….my dentist is still on her maternity leave…til Monday. Damnit! My tooth couldn’t have waited 5 measly days to break? Little bastard. So who do I get? I get a new young doc. Who is prepared to send me home with a broken tooth. Huh? “How will I eat?”
So he tells me…”What I could do is see how far the break goes down and if it’s not far we can try and fill it. Or we can just fill it temporarily til Monday when your doctor comes back”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
drill, drill, wiggle, drill, tap, grind. “Nope, the break goes all the way into the canal. It needs to come out” And it this point he has drilled the entire CROWN off the tooth!
I’m then informed that he doesn’t have much experience with extractions, so his colleague will do it. She has done many more. (So I’m sitting there wondering….is “many more” like…..100 rather than 50? Or like 5 rather than 2?) Wellllll guess who comes in? The young chick from my last visit. It’s almost like some weird dental karma is hunting me down. I couldn’t believe it. So she tells me she can take the tooth out but since it’s a ‘prior root canal tooth’ that there may be difficulty. But she can do it. Hmmmmm.
So I’m prepped, 5 shots in the roof of my mouth. Which, by the way, frickin hurts. And four shots in the gums. One in the tooth. Then the fun begins! I’ve haven’t felt that much pressure since I had a c-section. Swear-to-God. First off there’s this tool they use. I think it’s called the tool of death and misery, severe pain and torture. I don’t know what it’s called. The ‘I owe a lot on my dental school loans and I’m going to take it out on you – bitch’…tool. (It actually feels like an auger might feel if it were drilling into your bone. The tool separates the tooth bone from the jaw I think)
So this young doc is practically standing on my chest trying to pull my tooth out. And then using that frickin auger thing. It is so much pressure, I shit you not, that my head is literally vibrating off the headrest. She was pushing and pulling so hard, that the hat on my head was sliding over my NOSE as my head tried to sink into the chair. My feet were pulled up and feet bracing where your back would normally be in the chair. All the dentist could say was ‘breathe, breathe’. (I’m thinking….just let me frickin’ die already! lol)
By the way, I have EXTREMELY high pain tolerance. But…THIRTY minutes of this and the pulling….she gets 5 pieces of the tooth out. Yes, pieces. And looks at me and says…”I’m sorry I have to send you to an oral surgeon.”
WHAT YOU TALKIN BOUT DENTIST?
Now, one might assume that considering the ordeal that I had just been through. Someone there might have, oh, as a courtesy?, arranged an appointment with an oral surgeon for me? Hummmm? Nope. They send me home with 4 referrals. One guy only works Monday and Wednesday (it was Thursday) and the other two are on vacation. One left, he’s on lunch for the next hour. Shane and I called EVERYONE in the phone book. Even an oral surgeon named ACHOO! I SWEAR to God, his first name was Achoo! (bless you.) Yes, I was so desperate that I was willing to see a surgeon named ACHOO! (bless you.)
I finally get through to the 4th referral and the receptionist is named Sheila! Yea! A first name buddy ! She got me in, and $650, a couple stitches, a bone graft and two hours later I was home! (the bone graft was for incase within a couple years I decide I want an implant, there will be new ‘bone’ there and it will also aid the teeth on either side to NOT shift until I figure out what I’m going to do.) $2900. implant (yeah that’s one tooth), OR $2400 bridge. OR $200 for a partial that has one measly tooth on it. How silly that must look. ha ha ha. But I’ll get that little snaggletooth partial until I can afford the creme-de-la-creme implant. LoL!
Oh, and to show what a wonder wife I am? On the way home I dropped off my prescriptions AND picked up a birthday cake for Shane….all with a hunk of gauze in my mouth and greatly resembling Dick Clark on New Year’s Rockin Eve. (now please, I’m not making fun of anyone who’s had a stroke…it’s ONLY being said to give you a visual!) What time did I finally get home? 6:15pm. Now. If you’ll excusssse me, there’s a vicodin callin my name….Sheeeila!












January 9th, 2009 on 12:20 am
Holy crap, Sheila!! That’s awful. Take some major meds and pass out, please!
Alyson (New England Living)’s last blog post..A Little Bit of old England in New England
January 9th, 2009 on 8:51 am
Oh Sheila. That is a miserable experience. I hope you are feeling much better today and I think you need to find a different dental practice.
January 9th, 2009 on 9:26 am
My mouth is hurting for you! I hope you got some rest & feel better today!
AmyG’s last blog post..There is finally going to be a trial!
January 9th, 2009 on 10:00 am
You poor girl, Sheila! I hate going to the dentist. But I bet you are glad that it is over. Your mouth must really be hurting. Go take that vicodin and rest.
Cascia @ Healthy Moms’s last blog post..Spotlight Blog – All About Parenting
January 9th, 2009 on 10:09 am
i just threw up!
January 9th, 2009 on 10:30 am
Oh man, you are sending me into alternate paroxysms of pain and laughter! I have birthed three children, but wisdom tooth extraction about killed me. Nice to “meet” you, over from “Suburb Sanity.”
2nd Cup Linda’s last blog post..What I Haven’t Done
January 9th, 2009 on 10:41 am
Ouch! I agree with Debbie, I’d be looking for a new dentist.
Cara’s last blog post..Friday Top Ten – A Ski Bum
January 9th, 2009 on 12:19 pm
Oh no- what a day you had. I hope the vicodin helped.
Jen’s last blog post..Sonnet 116
January 9th, 2009 on 12:34 pm
Oh.My.GOD!!! That’s TERRIBLE!! I read that whole post with my finger in my mouth holding together my teeth! I would’ve FREAKED OUT if that happened to me!! I’ve only had one cavity my entire life *knock on wood* so there is no way I would’ve dealt with that. Especially after they said they couldn’t get it all out!! AAAAAAAHHH!
BTW, “What you talking about Dentist?” – HILARIOUS!!!
January 9th, 2009 on 3:55 pm
I feel your pain! I’ve written a lot about dental visits on my blog, too…and I get a good number of searches on the piece I titled “How to survive your root canal”–so obviously a lot of people want to know how to do that!!! HAHA! I’ve had 13 root canals, obviously an unlucky number! I had a bone infection on an old one in March of last year, and it was horrific.
Sending you positive, healing vibes!
DaisyDeadhead’s last blog post..Two from Disraeli Gears
January 9th, 2009 on 5:13 pm
Oy…I’m scared to go to the dentist. My tooth has been bugging me just like yours. You are super mom to do all that after that experience. Hope you’re taken care of this weekend.
Jen@OurDailyBigTop’s last blog post..this just in…
January 9th, 2009 on 6:31 pm
OMG that’s awful. I think I’d rather have the c-section. What a nightmare. Really the dentist scares the shit out of me. At least it’s out. Medicate, baby. Medicate the hell out of yourself.
mrsbear’s last blog post..Insert Guilt Here – Spin Cycle
January 9th, 2009 on 8:32 pm
Do you know hoe much I hate the dentist? No? Well it is A LOT. Everything that can go wrong at the dentist alwaaaaays does when I am in that chair.
Oh! And I paid the big bucks for the implant!
It failed! 3000 dollars down the drain.
Enjoy your vicodin!
Jenni Jiggety’s last blog post..Shey [B] Camera Strap Slip Cover GIVEAWAY!
January 9th, 2009 on 11:12 pm
Ahhh, vicodin, yessss. I think that little pinkish-red hole looks kinda cute, next to all those perfect chompers.
Jannie’s last blog post..Notes to self
January 10th, 2009 on 9:30 pm
I’m sorry you had to go through all day. It must have felt like torture. I’ve never been fond of dentists.
Rach (Heart of Rachel)’s last blog post..Photo Hunt :: Aftermath
January 10th, 2009 on 10:00 pm
Umm..OUCH! I remember when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. One of them was cracked and it took two trips to remove it all. Thank god for Percocet. I think tooth pain is probably the worst. 2900 for one tooth! I should have become a dentist.
Charles’s last blog post..Green Products Showcased at CES
January 11th, 2009 on 11:50 am
ouch!! What a horrible experience. sorry you had to go through that. Take that vicodin and relax…….
Newlyweds’s last blog post..Weekly Shopping Trip
January 12th, 2009 on 8:17 pm
That sounds awful. I hate the dentist! Hope you’re feeling better now.
jenn’s last blog post..Writer’s Workshop
November 3rd, 2009 on 1:15 pm
I googled (lol) tooth extraction day by day healing process and I eventually was linked back to this site.
I FEEL YOUR PAIN. Exact same thing happened to me not three days ago! (I look like a chipmunk as I type this). I wasn’t completely numb during the first dentist, so as he broke my tooth into pieces to pull it out, I felt EVERY NERVE. AHHH trauma to the max.
I really hope childbirth is less painful! (I’m only in college, no babies yet).