Hi mo,

I am in the dental field so I can offer you my thoughts from that perspective since I have not personally had this dental issue myself. I know hundreds+ of people who have undergone this procedure and dentally speaking it's pretty straight forward in patients who otherwise have healthy mouths. I know this is a very scary thing to be dealing with and your concerns are all valid. But try to keep in mind that with each completed step, you will feel much relief. At the onset it would be very helpful for you emotionally to understand that this realy is the best/healthiest option to take care of your dental problem and you will get through this ok.

If your dentist has not already told you..... a very important thing to understand is that the fractured part of the tooth is open when normally it is sealed closed. Bacteria has already begun to build up there and infection is imminent. Unless you've had a traumatic injury recently to that tooth, chances are the tooth had been fractured without you even knowing it. It is not uncommon for root canaled teeth to fracture either during the root canal procedure or anytime thereafter. Because most root fractures are not easily picked up on an xray, they are often undiagnosed until infection or other pathology is seen on an xray. So to take a wait and see approach will only contribute to further problems and deterioration in the bone would make the oral surgery as well as the permanent restoration more complex. Because the jawbone is so vascular, the bacteria will also spread to the adjacent teeth if it is not removed.

Putting bone graft material in the socket of an upper front tooth is very common because the bone in that area is much thinner than the rest of the mouth. However, there has to be some amount of healthy bone around the surgical socket to place the bone graft in. So again, it is best to have this tooth removed before the condition progresses.

Everyone's experience with wearing the flipper is a little different. You will find that you have to be careful of how you eat because it is not meant to be used like a normal tooth. Biting into an apple, sandwich or hamburger, anything like that will cause it to come out and/or break. We suggest patients cut up their food, and avoid using the front teeth to chew with. If you are careful and mindful of wearing it, you will be surprised at how functional it can be. As far as it being lose..... in the beginning it may feel tight, then lose as the mouth heals. You may need a few adjustments on the flipper at your dentist office and sometimes patients use a slight dab of denture adhesive to keep it in. The flipper is designed to fit into your smile and usually it is esthetically pleasing to anyone looking at you. As for kissing... depends on what is comfortable for you and your partner. It may not even be noticed or you may prefer to take it out........ depends on the date I guess

For many people, initially it is alarming to see yourself without a front tooth. But my patients tell me that concern goes away alot quicker than they thought it would because they are so relieved to have that bad tooth out.

I hope this information is helpful to you..... if you don't hear back from Alex on this thread.. make a new post entry directly to her and then make a reference to this thread.

Keep in touch and let us know how you're doing ~'.'~

Bryanna




QUOTE=mo27;635161]Alex,
Crazy but i am going through almost the exact same situation and I stumbled upon your post while I was searching for info! I'm 27 and I had a root canal 5 yrs ago.. I recently found out the root of my front tooth (number 9 i think) is fractured and it has to be extracted! I am losing my mind over this, and seriously have thoughts of just avoiding it and seeing what happens.
I recently had to get a flipper made and it is currently sitting at my dentist's office because I am too afraid to go and pick it up. I am scheduled to have the extraction next monday. I also will have to have a bone graft, which I am pretty sure delays this process even more. Do you mind answering a few questions for me?
-How are you doing with the flipper? Does it look different or no one can tell?
-Do you have a lisp when you speak? I am so nervous for this especially because I am a teacher.
-Do you have to take it out when you eat? I really don't think I will be able to do this.
-Were you really freaked out to see yourself without a front tooth?
-Does it hurt?
-Can you still make out with people? haha sounds ridiculous, but i wonder this.

Ok i have about a million more questions but I'll start with those haha. I am going to my dentist tomorrow and i do plan to ask some, but I always feel like they think it's no big deal when personally I feel devastated! I also seem to take much longer to heal than they say when it comes to these types of procedures.

Any help you (or anyone) could give me would be so great. Thank you in advance!![/QUOTE]