DARK CIRCLE and CrOWNS VS EXTRACTIONS?
 

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.

Hi worsepain,

You obviously have several issues going on with your teeth and your health. I can try to offer some insight into your dental problems...

Many medications can cause a decrease in the salivary flow contributing to tooth decay and periodontal disease. So it's imperative to be diligent with your oral hygiene and eat as nutritiously as possible. It sounds like you have had ongoing dental problems for a long time and the meds and your compromised health are just making matters worse.

Anytime you have a lot of missing teeth, you are susceptible to having TMJ problems as well as progressive tooth decay and periodontal disease. So it's usually a good idea to replace some of the missing teeth to help prevent a complete collapse in the bite.

From your description, the large dark circle on the lower molar is extensive tooth decay along the gum line which has progressed deep inside of the tooth. The gum is not eating away the tooth, the gum is inflamed from the decay. I agree with the surgeon, the best option is to remove this tooth.

Since you already have health issues affecting the health of your bone and you are on meds that will continue to decrease the salivary flow... it does not make sense to put yourself through dental procedures that will fail sooner than later. Perhaps the best alternative would be to remove the bad, broken down, infected teeth.... clean up your gums... and replace the missing teeth with partial dentures. Then get your self on a strict oral hygiene regimen to reduce the decay rate.

I hope this information is helpful.....
Bryanna