I AHVE A VERY DAMAGED ORAL SITUATION--missing many teeth on upper, and several on bottom...my gums are receding due to over use of VERAPIMIL for a heart issue..which i cant stop, I have TMJ, major dsemineralization in the teeth (some osteopenia has developed ( (I am a 51y male). Two dentists said to fix your ,mouth--with the gum issues, TMJ missing teeth and bite that is pushing teeth UP and causing bone spurs....as well as 4 bottom teeth with major wear....it will cost upwards of 30,000.00 in cash ( I have no insurance) to fix it...

I SAW another dentist--who said "24,000.00" I said-_ I am disabled..PULL THE BAD TEETH--he refused...he insists on 12,.000 to start..he refuses to refer me to the oral surgeon who when he saw my X rays (GOOD X RAYS by the way--showing 3 cracked teeth and one absess) he agreed to pull 4 teeth on bottom right--but the cheap insurance requires the dentist to make the referral AND it be approved by a committee..meantimre--my teeth and jaw are killing me

AQUESTION--the guy who wants 12,000 ONLY is going to do `10 crowns..but with damaged gums..bad bite, TMJ, and demineralization---I wonder if shaving down ALL my teeth to crown them is only going to cause severe oral pain.... would I be better off--with such defects to just have the cracked and absessed teeth pulled and have a proper denture/[partial made...?

Root canals can NOT be done on me--the last 2 failed AND I can no longer keep my mouth open long enough duwe to TMJ pain..they are OUT--it is either 10 crowns or pulling 4 bottom teeth to start.

whay i am VERY concerned about is a VERY large DARK CIRCLEon the 2nd to last tooth on lower right---my dentist beelives it is the gum eating away at the tooth--and it should come out--I have little pain--it is INSIDE the tooth--I showed the X rays to my oral surgeon ( I trust him) and he AGREES--bad rtooth--being eaten away--must come out--cant have a filling...ever hear of this--a tooth being eaten away?? Could I have bone cancer? can the tooth be sent to a lab for squamous cell testing?

PS--My teeth are so poor and damaged by other dentists *(yes damaged by them) my current dentist wants to bring them to WASH DC to show COngress what happens when Gov. gets involved with Dental care. what a mess.