[amores_perros]

I know the obvious answer is to visit a dentist however due to years of horrible experiences, i am absolutely terrified. I am hoping i will be advised by someone on here of the urgency which will scare me into going.
I have a false front tooth. I dont know the technical terms but it is held in place by metal rods. It is approximately 15 years old. I have recently notices a crack across it and my gums around it and the surrounding teeth are causing me a little bit of pain.
I want to know the risks of just leaving this so i will force myself to go. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you kindly.

[Bryanna]

Hi amores_perros,

Is this tooth root canaled and does it have a post in it with a crown over it?
If so, then the tooth is infected and it needs to be removed. Not only the post and crown portion but the tooth also. You should discuss replacement options with your dentist and get this taken care of as soon as possible. If you just leave it, the infection will spread through the bone into the other teeth.

Or was the tooth extracted 15 years ago and you have a dental implant with a crown over it?
If so, then the crown may be broken but the implant may also be having a problem. Again, this would require immediate attention from a dentist to prevent the spread of infection.

Bryanna

Originally Posted by amores_perros

I know the obvious answer is to visit a dentist however due to years of horrible experiences, i am absolutely terrified. I am hoping i will be advised by someone on here of the urgency which will scare me into going.
I have a false front tooth. I dont know the technical terms but it is held in place by metal rods. It is approximately 15 years old. I have recently notices a crack across it and my gums around it and the surrounding teeth are causing me a little bit of pain.
I want to know the risks of just leaving this so i will force myself to go. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you kindly.

[amores_perros]

Thank you very much. I have made an appointment with my dentist. I am not entirely sure what exactly was done to the tooth. I was only young and it was an extremely awful experience so i dont know what they did exactly. I believe there may still be a small amount of tooth there and pins holding the crown on. I am sure whatever the issue is, it is going to be equally as awful to fix. Do you know what would be the likely outcome if there is an infection and it has spread?

Thank you.

[Bryanna]

amores-perros,

If there is an infection, the cure for that is to remove whatever tooth is still present. Your replacement options for this tooth will depend on the condition of the rest of your teeth as well as the health of your gums and jawbone. You may or may not be a candidate for a single dental implant which would just replace this one tooth. Or a permanent bridge that would require cutting down the teeth on both sides of this tooth for what is called a 3 unit bridge. Sometimes an additional tooth is involved for stability and esthetics. If you are missing other teeth in your upper arch, then you may be a candidate for a removable partial denture which would replace this tooth and any other teeth that have been removed in that arch.

If your dentist suggests a root canal on this tooth it is important for you to know that the root canal procedure will not cure the infection. Root canal therapy is done to attempt to retain the infected tooth for an undetermined amount of time. The tooth will remain a chronic problem and front teeth do not have as much bone holding them in as the back teeth so most likely sooner than later this tooth would need to be removed anyway. In the meantime the infection could spread to the other teeth.

Please try not to be so frightened.... I know that is hard to overcome. Your first visit is for an examination and x-rays.... nothing more. You and your dentist will plan the treatment and you can discuss being pre medicated with valium or xanax on the day of your following dental appointment if you feel that would be helpful for you. Try to stay focused on what is going on at the examination appointment.... don't shut yourself off. The more aware you are about what the plan is, the more in control you will feel. You can always bring an ipod or headphones to your treatment appointment to help tune out the sound of the drill or whatever.

Hope this is helpful to you...
Bryanna

Originally Posted by amores_perros

Thank you very much. I have made an appointment with my dentist. I am not entirely sure what exactly was done to the tooth. I was only young and it was an extremely awful experience so i dont know what they did exactly. I believe there may still be a small amount of tooth there and pins holding the crown on. I am sure whatever the issue is, it is going to be equally as awful to fix. Do you know what would be the likely outcome if there is an infection and it has spread?

Thank you.