[Rrae]

.....from a Dental Office who claims they can do a root canal/put filling the in the neighboring tooth that has begun to decay (in between the teeth), put in the dental implant AND the crown ALL in ONE visit?

Maybe I didn't comprehend correctly when they were explaining this to me, but it seemed they were making it seem like a pretty 'easy-to-do' thing' !

Mind you, after reading all I've read about the Root Canal nightmares, I've decided to just have the tooth pulled and get the neighbor tooth cavity filled and call it good.

It's tooth #19 that is getting pulled. It's gonna leave one heck of a gap and I don't know what I'll do from there.......leave it and hope my teeth don't 'shift'?
The idea of an implant and having a screw drilling into my jaw is not where i want to go, so I'm guessing (if anything) I'll try for a bridge?

When I saw the body/tooth chart, I was amazed because the teeth that have been causing me problems seem to be related to my health issues for the past 5 yrs.
I was taking Lyrica and other meds that cause dry mouth during that time as well, and I've heard they are big culprits in tooth decay.
It's just so frustrating....I've NEVER had dental problems my whole life until these past 5 yrs and i didn't realize the dental issues were going on....I was putting my concentrations on the pain issues (neuropathy knees/legs) and Thyroid problems I was facing.

Hindsight sure says alot.
If that tooth/body chart is accurate......it would almost begin to seem logical to just go and get ALL our teeth pulled out and then we wouldn't have the health problems.
......i realize how silly that sounds..... but MAN i'm frustrated about my teeth problems since taking those meds and .....what a nitemare.

[ellem8]

Hi Rrae,

I just had an implant placed on tooth #20. Here is my take on it.

I know it is smaller than #19 but they are side by side and I am with you on the implant being screwed into your jaw bone. The thought of it made me cringe. I have to say though the whole process went very smooth. I had ZERO pain. I really thought my jaw and bone would be sore but nothing at all and I hear this from a lot of people that have implants placed by really good specialists. They say the process wasn't bad at all and neither was mine. I am post op 2 months and everything seems to be moving right along just fine. I would and will at some point do it again. I know bridges can cause a whole other set of issues so for me it will always be implants as long as I have sufficient bone to place them in.

I am sure Bryanna will chime in on this but I thought you might like to read someones input that has recently had it done. Let me know if you have any questions!

Oh and speaking from a long history of dental issues, that does seem like way too many procedures to have in one day. Especially the immediate setting of the crown on the implant. I would get a second and maybe even third opinion! lol

Elle

[Rrae]

Yes, I DO very much appreciate you sharing with me. I'm glad your procedure went smoothly and that you are doing ok.
It also helped to 'calm' my nerves when thinking of the implant.

And yes, I'm hoping Bryanna will give some input, especially regarding the body/tooth chart....I am very intrigued with this!
I'll gladly give more details re: the health connection that strikes me so curious.....or is it 'coincident' ........ some people laugh it off as they do those eye (Iridology) charts.

The doctor's office that I was referring to in my first post IS the '2nd opinion'....he basically said "those are the most important molars - referring to my #19 - and we'd want to do everything we can to save it." Also said he'd have no problem in filling the neighboring tooth that is beginning to decay, whereas my 1st opinion dentist just wants to pull #19 because he said it'd be too hard to try and get in between to put filling in where the cavity is on the side of the neighboring tooth.

#19 has been 'in limbo' for the past 8wks with a partial root canal because the endo didn't think the tooth was worth saving.......so I have temporary cement right now. The reason I 'waited' to go any further with this was because of the fact that I've recently had a SCS implant in my spine and was told to wait 8 wks post op to reduce risk of infection.

I'm thinking Bryanna will give me the 'thumbs up' for deciding to just get #19 pulled instead of trying to 'save' the diseased tooth.
That body/tooth chart really did raise my eyebrows.
How much stock do other's put into it?

Thanks for bearing with my ramblings.....
Rae

[Bryanna]

Hi Rrae,

So you like the tooth and body chart! It happens to be a very old theory from chinese medicine many centuries ago. So it's realy been referenced to for a long time. It follows the same idea as acupuncture.

Well you definitely have my thumbs up to have tooth #19 removed! I'll tell you why..... the tooth is very unhealthy especially since it has a "partial" root canal in it. A partial root canal leaves so much necrotic nerve material inside the tooth and the bacteria from that is so not good. Your dentist is right in that #19 is one of the more important molars because we use it to chew on. However, an unhealthy tooth anyplace in the mouth is not good. So removing it and replacing it with a dental implant or a bridge would be better than living with a diseased tooth. Yes??

Once #19 is removed, the dentist will have better access to the cavity on the neighboring tooth this is true.

Depending on the indivudual circumstances.... yes, a tooth can be extracted and an immediate implant can be placed.... sometimes a temp crown can be put on as well. But in order to do that, the bone receiving the implant has to be very healthy and the crown is made so that you are not hitting it when you bite down. I personally would only do all of that if the tooth being removed had just broken and was beyond repair, had no risk of infection, and no root canal treatment. Otherwise, I would do the extraction...wait 6 months... put in the implant.... wait six months.... have the crown put on.

Other dental work like fillings can be done at the same time as oral surgery.

Rrae... let us know how you're doing!!

Bryanna

Originally Posted by Rrae

Yes, I DO very much appreciate you sharing with me. I'm glad your procedure went smoothly and that you are doing ok.
It also helped to 'calm' my nerves when thinking of the implant.

And yes, I'm hoping Bryanna will give some input, especially regarding the body/tooth chart....I am very intrigued with this!
I'll gladly give more details re: the health connection that strikes me so curious.....or is it 'coincident' ........ some people laugh it off as they do those eye (Iridology) charts.

The doctor's office that I was referring to in my first post IS the '2nd opinion'....he basically said "those are the most important molars - referring to my #19 - and we'd want to do everything we can to save it." Also said he'd have no problem in filling the neighboring tooth that is beginning to decay, whereas my 1st opinion dentist just wants to pull #19 because he said it'd be too hard to try and get in between to put filling in where the cavity is on the side of the neighboring tooth.

#19 has been 'in limbo' for the past 8wks with a partial root canal because the endo didn't think the tooth was worth saving.......so I have temporary cement right now. The reason I 'waited' to go any further with this was because of the fact that I've recently had a SCS implant in my spine and was told to wait 8 wks post op to reduce risk of infection.

I'm thinking Bryanna will give me the 'thumbs up' for deciding to just get #19 pulled instead of trying to 'save' the diseased tooth.
That body/tooth chart really did raise my eyebrows.
How much stock do other's put into it?

Thanks for bearing with my ramblings.....
Rae

[Rrae]

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Once #19 is removed, the dentist will have better access to the cavity on the neighboring tooth this is true.
I would do the extraction...wait 6 months... put in the implant.... wait six months.... have the crown put on.

Other dental work like fillings can be done at the same time as oral surgery.

Rrae... let us know how you're doing!!

Bryanna

That's the game plan! I'm calling 1st thing tomorrow to see how soon I can get this tooth OUT! I'm cancelling the appt w/Dentist who was willing to gitter ALL done in one day......Which means I'd have to wait till May 11th.
That's over 2 more weeks of this bacteria malingering and the neighboring tooth decaying.........eegads !

Thank you Bryanna, for everything.......
Also, thank you Elle for your feedback as well...... MUCH appreciated!

Rae

[ellem8]

Originally Posted by Rrae

That's the game plan! I'm calling 1st thing tomorrow to see how soon I can get this tooth OUT! I'm cancelling the appt w/Dentist who was willing to gitter ALL done in one day......Which means I'd have to wait till May 11th.
That's over 2 more weeks of this bacteria malingering and the neighboring tooth decaying.........eegads !

Thank you Bryanna, for everything.......
Also, thank you Elle for your feedback as well...... MUCH appreciated!

Rae

Good luck Rae!

I will be anxious to see how the procedure goes for you and if it is much different from my tooth #20. I could be looking at the same thing in the somewhat near future on #19. If you can I would highly recommend being sedated. It helped with my anxiety and I don't remember much. I mean you are numb anyway but just the thought of being totally aware got me really nervous. In hindsight I am glad I was sedated but I wonder what I was so worried about leading up to it! You will be fine!!

Elle

[Rrae]

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi Rrae,

Once #19 is removed, the dentist will have better access to the cavity on the neighboring tooth this is true.

I would do the extraction...wait 6 months... put in the implant.... wait six months.... have the crown put on.

Other dental work like fillings can be done at the same time as oral surgery.

Rrae... let us know how you're doing!!

Bryanna

Hello Again
I had #19 pulled 2 wks ago and as far as I know everything is fine.
This is what is driving me crazy tho........My dentist didn't want to put filling in the neighboring tooth (yet) because they want the extraction site to heal so that the 'silver stuff' won't get into the 'raw' tissue of the extracted tooth.

SO, here I sit with a huge gap.....and of COURSE my tongue won't QUIT going there I swear it's like a freaky reptile! It's as tho the 'hole' is a magnet that my tongue won't stay out of!!

Anyway, they wanted to wait 6 WEEKS to do the filling, but I called to see if they would get me in sooner......because the minutes are turning into hours as I am consciously aware that there is a tooth decaying in my mouth as we speak! I will go in next Wednesday to see if he'll go ahead and just FILL IT ALREADY!!

I guess I just don't understand having to do all this waiting. I understand that healing process takes time...
I wish there was some sort of temporary 'tooth/bridge' type of thing that I could wear to fill in this gap and keep my stupid tongue away from it!
IS there such a thing? Is that what a 'flipper' is?
I'm sure this seems silly to someone who is well-versed in the dental arena.
I simply don't have a clue.

I'm just SO anxious to get this decay OUT......and by having to wait to get the filling, I feel like this tooth could possibly decay beyond simple repair.
Man this sucks.

Adding: ok, i saw on a couple threads down, you described very well what a flipper is.....so I'm clear on that. My dentist's office never said anything about this tho? Are these things real expensive? Would the flipper help to keep my other teeth from 'shifting' as I wait for implant in 6 months.?
Thank you Bryanna

[Bryanna]

Hi Rrae,

It is best to wait to do the filling on that tooth because the last thing you want is to contaminate the surgical site with mercury during the removal of that old filling. I know you are anxious about the decay, but waiting a few weeks is not going to matter.

I hope the dentist is not replacing a mecury filling with another one! Mercury fillings (silver fillings) are very toxic. MOST dentists are not using that material anymore. There are tooth colored fillings that work very well and they even bond better with the tooth than the mercury ones do.

To answer your question about the flipper... yes, you could have a flipper made to hold that space open during the healing phase. It may not be absolutely necessary, but it is something that you should discuss with your dentist. Also...... once that area heals, your tongue will naturally become less curious ;-)

So if you can, wait to do the filling until the gum tissue closes over the extraction site....

Bryanna

Originally Posted by Rrae

Hello Again
I had #19 pulled 2 wks ago and as far as I know everything is fine.
This is what is driving me crazy tho........My dentist didn't want to put filling in the neighboring tooth (yet) because they want the extraction site to heal so that the 'silver stuff' won't get into the 'raw' tissue of the extracted tooth.

SO, here I sit with a huge gap.....and of COURSE my tongue won't QUIT going there I swear it's like a freaky reptile! It's as tho the 'hole' is a magnet that my tongue won't stay out of!!

Anyway, they wanted to wait 6 WEEKS to do the filling, but I called to see if they would get me in sooner......because the minutes are turning into hours as I am consciously aware that there is a tooth decaying in my mouth as we speak! I will go in next Wednesday to see if he'll go ahead and just FILL IT ALREADY!!

I guess I just don't understand having to do all this waiting. I understand that healing process takes time...
I wish there was some sort of temporary 'tooth/bridge' type of thing that I could wear to fill in this gap and keep my stupid tongue away from it!
IS there such a thing? Is that what a 'flipper' is?
I'm sure this seems silly to someone who is well-versed in the dental arena.
I simply don't have a clue.

I'm just SO anxious to get this decay OUT......and by having to wait to get the filling, I feel like this tooth could possibly decay beyond simple repair.
Man this sucks.

Adding: ok, i saw on a couple threads down, you described very well what a flipper is.....so I'm clear on that. My dentist's office never said anything about this tho? Are these things real expensive? Would the flipper help to keep my other teeth from 'shifting' as I wait for implant in 6 months.?
Thank you Bryanna

[Rrae]

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi Rrae,

It is best to wait to do the filling on that tooth because the last thing you want is to contaminate the surgical site with mercury during the removal of that old filling. I know you are anxious about the decay, but waiting a few weeks is not going to matter.

I hope the dentist is not replacing a mecury filling with another one! Mercury fillings (silver fillings) are very toxic. MOST dentists are not using that material anymore. There are tooth colored fillings that work very well and they even bond better with the tooth than the mercury ones do.

To answer your question about the flipper... yes, you could have a flipper made to hold that space open during the healing phase. It may not be absolutely necessary, but it is something that you should discuss with your dentist. Also...... once that area heals, your tongue will naturally become less curious ;-)

So if you can, wait to do the filling until the gum tissue closes over the extraction site....

Bryanna

What would I do without you!
WOW! The mercury issue! I will call this office and make sure they do NOT use the mercury! This office is pretty outdated ....no computer, and the dentist is on the brink of retiring I think.....
OH, and to clarify....there is no existing filling to remove. Tooth #19 was beyond repair, so had it removed. The neighboring tooth has decay and that's the one that needs filling.....it doesn't have any filling at this point.

So, ok.....you've (once again ) made things clearer.
That's why I questioned the '2nd opinion' dentist who said he could do it all in one visit..... because he would have pulled #19, put filling in the tooth next to that (which would go against your advice Re: waiting for gum to close over from #19). I don't see how he could have filled the other tooth with a fresh extraction site right next to it. PLUS put an implant in the fresh extraction site!
Sounded too good to be true.....and especially since I'm only 2 months out from getting a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted......would have been too much too soon.
Fine wine takes time ......
Thank you for your very valuable input!
Rae

[Bryanna]

Hi Rae,

You are very welcome!!

PLEASE..... do not let them put a mercury filling in your tooth. The dental offices that still use mercury/silver colored fillings called amalgams are definitely not up to date on their procedures. It is NOT a safe material to use and will sooner than later become outlawed. Most of Europe hasn't used this filling material for years! There are alternatives materials that are safer and bond better to the tooth.... please don't let anyone convince you differently!

Keep us posted on how things are going ;-)

Bryanna

Originally Posted by Rrae

What would I do without you!
WOW! The mercury issue! I will call this office and make sure they do NOT use the mercury! This office is pretty outdated ....no computer, and the dentist is on the brink of retiring I think.....
OH, and to clarify....there is no existing filling to remove. Tooth #19 was beyond repair, so had it removed. The neighboring tooth has decay and that's the one that needs filling.....it doesn't have any filling at this point.

So, ok.....you've (once again ) made things clearer.
That's why I questioned the '2nd opinion' dentist who said he could do it all in one visit..... because he would have pulled #19, put filling in the tooth next to that (which would go against your advice Re: waiting for gum to close over from #19). I don't see how he could have filled the other tooth with a fresh extraction site right next to it. PLUS put an implant in the fresh extraction site!
Sounded too good to be true.....and especially since I'm only 2 months out from getting a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted......would have been too much too soon.
Fine wine takes time ......
Thank you for your very valuable input!
Rae