In elementary school, I fell on the gym floor and chipped the inner corners of my 2 front teeth. I had the full length of tooth remaining on the outer edges, bordering the 2 teeth on either side. There was bonding, porcelain pieces were bonded on to give me tooth shape, and were replaced a few times as I got older because they would break off and chip again. Fast forward 5 years. The old bonded pieces have changed colors and I decided I wanted crowns. I now work at a college with dental insurance. I go to a dentist office in Statesboro. They were charging me 399(for 2 crowns) + 99(whitening). He went in to shave off the "filling" they referred to my old "bonding".

Question1: Are filling and bonding the same thing? What is the difference, if any?

While shaving down my existing teeth, he went past where the old bonding had been and past existing tooth. He said there was decay that needed to be rid of.

Question 2: How was my teeth decaying on the outer surface? What would cause that? What would keep the tooth from continuing to decay after I get crowns??

Also, while shaving down, he got close to my nerve and mentioned a possible root canal. I haven't had any pain, it was just mentioned because the nerve was close to the surface now. So he gave me a "chemical bandaid" (additional $40)

I was given temporaries (two "teeth" as one piece that fit over what remained of my "nubbies" -my 2 front teeth) while my permanent crowns were being made. So, 2 weeks later and more whitening, I go in (Thursday of last week) and while trying to remove my temporaries to install the permanents, they broke off. I think my teeth were broken, as in my real genuine teeth that were left. I said that to the woman, and she said no, the filling was broken off...

Question 3: When did I get a filling?? Does she mean the "chemical bandaid"? In which case, what a waste of $40! If not, I was under the assumption that my genuine teeth were left, no reconstruction had began to my knowledge.

So now, I need 2 root canals, and a post into the tooth that had the exposed nerve.

Question 4: Why would I need 2 root canals and only one post? Shouldn't I may as well have both teeth "posted" to ensure I never go through this bull again?

Question 5: I read that a root canal is to postpone an eventual pulling of the tooth... How can these crowns be a "permanent solution" if it's post poning more work?

Question 6: Did they shave my teeth down further than they needed to be in an effort to get more money out of me by way of essentially forcing me to need a root canal (or 2) ?


I am so confused... The root canals begin in an hour and a half... But I'm being charged 461$ out of pocket because my insurance is used up from the crowns themselves. But, my dentist did say that he was only charging me for one root canal, therefore giving me another root canal and the post plus any tooth build-up / construction for free...