Days of Suck
Poor LiveJournal. Everyone has left you for Facebook :( (and I'm only posting here knowing that it'll get magically imported as a FB note)
I've had a problem with a tooth for many years. At first, around 15 years ago, it just hurt occasionally when I bit something hard like crusty bread. Back then, i had dental insurance, but the dentists could never figure out what the problem was. More recently, it had become very sensitive to cold. These days I don't have dental insurance so I just kept cold stuff away from it and didn't worry about it too much. Then, it started aching from time to time. it still wasn't obvious which tooth is was or even if it was a tooth since the pain ran from my jaw through my ear to my temple (yeah, ouch). Earlier this week, it all became clear when the tooth went super-nova. It started at diner on Wednesday. Oddly, the tooth stopped being cold sensitive, but was now extremely sensitive to even the slightest warmth. I took a some pain killers and managed to get some sleep, but by 9AM Thursday (my birthday, dammit) the pain was so bad I could hardly think. A deep ache starting in my jaw and encompassing my left ear the back of my head and my temple. Fortunately I figured out that I could swish cool water around the tooth to reduce the pain. I called a dentist that was recommended by some friends and they were able to schedule me for 2PM. Until then I sat on the couch constantly swishing water over the tooth. If I waited more than 15 seconds between swishes, the pain got unbelievably intense. I drove the to the dentists office with a bottle of ice water and an ice pack on the side of my face. I had to interrupt my conversation with the dentist every 10-15 seconds to swish.
It took 2 full doses of novacaine before I could relax and stop swishing. And another dose just to be sure. And even then I felt some pain during the drilling so he shot some directly into the roots through the hole he was drilling! After that, I didn't feel a thing which was a huge relief since previous drillings has always been painful. I guess I have a high tolerance for novocaine (or a low tolerance for pain) The rest of the procedure was uneventful and 4 hours later when the last of the drugs had worn off I went out for Indian food with Bink.
The next morning my entire body was sore, which I assumed was because I had been tense most of the previous day. In fact, it was because I had a low grade fever, I presume due to the remainder of the infection in my tooth. The fever lasted all day, but broke that evening. I was pretty much back to normal by Saturday afternoon. 3 solid days of suck and the worst birthday ever.
The story isn't over yet. I go back to the dentist on Friday for a proper root canal and again some other time for "build-up" and a crown. Total cost will be a bit over $3000. For 1 tooth! I can barely afford it, and only because I had set some money aside for a trip to Ireland. They offered a 10% cash discount, but I know from previous experience that they charge cash customers way more than insured customers, even after the "discount" It's enough to make one become a health care reform advocate...
I've had a problem with a tooth for many years. At first, around 15 years ago, it just hurt occasionally when I bit something hard like crusty bread. Back then, i had dental insurance, but the dentists could never figure out what the problem was. More recently, it had become very sensitive to cold. These days I don't have dental insurance so I just kept cold stuff away from it and didn't worry about it too much. Then, it started aching from time to time. it still wasn't obvious which tooth is was or even if it was a tooth since the pain ran from my jaw through my ear to my temple (yeah, ouch). Earlier this week, it all became clear when the tooth went super-nova. It started at diner on Wednesday. Oddly, the tooth stopped being cold sensitive, but was now extremely sensitive to even the slightest warmth. I took a some pain killers and managed to get some sleep, but by 9AM Thursday (my birthday, dammit) the pain was so bad I could hardly think. A deep ache starting in my jaw and encompassing my left ear the back of my head and my temple. Fortunately I figured out that I could swish cool water around the tooth to reduce the pain. I called a dentist that was recommended by some friends and they were able to schedule me for 2PM. Until then I sat on the couch constantly swishing water over the tooth. If I waited more than 15 seconds between swishes, the pain got unbelievably intense. I drove the to the dentists office with a bottle of ice water and an ice pack on the side of my face. I had to interrupt my conversation with the dentist every 10-15 seconds to swish.
It took 2 full doses of novacaine before I could relax and stop swishing. And another dose just to be sure. And even then I felt some pain during the drilling so he shot some directly into the roots through the hole he was drilling! After that, I didn't feel a thing which was a huge relief since previous drillings has always been painful. I guess I have a high tolerance for novocaine (or a low tolerance for pain) The rest of the procedure was uneventful and 4 hours later when the last of the drugs had worn off I went out for Indian food with Bink.
The next morning my entire body was sore, which I assumed was because I had been tense most of the previous day. In fact, it was because I had a low grade fever, I presume due to the remainder of the infection in my tooth. The fever lasted all day, but broke that evening. I was pretty much back to normal by Saturday afternoon. 3 solid days of suck and the worst birthday ever.
The story isn't over yet. I go back to the dentist on Friday for a proper root canal and again some other time for "build-up" and a crown. Total cost will be a bit over $3000. For 1 tooth! I can barely afford it, and only because I had set some money aside for a trip to Ireland. They offered a 10% cash discount, but I know from previous experience that they charge cash customers way more than insured customers, even after the "discount" It's enough to make one become a health care reform advocate...