Wellness

[Mmsfoxxie]

My dentist told me (while getting other work done) that an old bridge needed to be replaced. Since there had been swelling on that side a couple of times and the bridge was about 15 yrs old, I agreed but told him that since I was retiring in a few months, I needed it done asap. Well, when the bridge came from the lap, it wasn't right and had to be redone, taking another month. Last month, while still wearing the temporary bridge I noticed slight pain. I decided to try chewing on that side and sure enough, I couldn't. The dentist said that he would put the real bridge in but with temporary cement to see how it felt. Well it's not feeling too good but the problem is that my insurance ended on June 30th.

Looks like I'll need a root canal with no insurance. If the tooth has to be extracted, the new bridge will be a waste of my money. Even with the insurance, it was expensive. Two steps forward, one step backwards, right? I'm been getting cleaning, scaling, a crown and fitting for this bridge for about 9 months. My appointments were too far apart due to his office being busy. I also think that all of the poking and prodding affected the nerve in that tooth.

[151949]

Mmsfoxxie,my DH has been going through something similar for 6months.His new bridge still hurts him! Fortunately we do have insurance.He has gone back so many times for this issue he has lost count.Our dentist retired mid way thru this ordeal so he is stuck with the new young guy who bought the practice. It is a mess for sure.

[Mmsfoxxie]

151949, good luck to your husband. I feel for him.

I just can't get over the fact that none of my teeth hurt until I let the hygenist and dentist do maintenance, lol. Well, I'm almost 68 so maybe my teeth were an accident waiting to happen.

[Reba055]

And they do have implant dentures now though they're not exactly cheap. At least they do away with the issues associated with getting the right fit ( I think that would be the term). Much cheaper than individual implanted teeth. It is an ongoing battle to try to keep up with your teeth, ugh.

[dsky]

You know since I started having all these issues with my teeth after my May 13th cleaning (posted earlier what happened) I am petrified of the expense to keep your teeth in your mouth for the duration of your life.  It's mind blowing to have one tooth replaced or even repaired.  I don't have insurance either.  This is why people walk around with missing teeth.  That commercial with the guy sitting on the bench with the missing teeth, well now I understand.

[151949]

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@Mmsfoxxie wrote:
151949, good luck to your husband. I feel for him.

I just can't get over the fact that none of my teeth hurt until I let thehygenist and dentist do maintenance,lol. Well, I'm almost 68 so maybe my teeth were an accident waiting to happen.

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It all started the same way for my DH - he went in for his 6 month cleaning and they x rayed his teeth. They said he needed a filling in the tooth that anchored his bridge so the bridge would be removed and that would destroy it so a new bridge would have to be made.The filling was done and the previously painless tooth has been very painful ever since.I am betting he will ultimately lose that tooth and will need yet another bridge made to cover that span, which means the cost of the bridge 6 months ago was $$$ down the trash.None of this is paid by insurance because his bridge was only a few years old. He and I keep arguing that I think the dentist should do whatever is needed now for free since it was their screw up somewhere along the way but my DH tells me I am dreaming.

[dsky]

I had no problems until my cleaning also, my teeth haven't been the same since, and now I worry about them all the time because of all I have and still have to go through.  I had the xrays for Invisalyn now I am afraid of the moving of my teeth which don't even seem like my teeth anymore because of weird pains here and there
, plus the expense.  I have waited for years to get them straight, now because of all these weird issues I had to use the money for that.

[adelle38]

I thought I loved my old fashioned dentist until he retired in April and the fellow he sold his practice to said I needed 5 crowns replace and 4 fillings. What really bothered me is that 3 of the fillings were in teeth I'd been asking my good old dentist about for a couple of years and he said we'll just keep an eye on them.

To top it all off I broke what I thought was a filling Saturday and the dentist said I need an implant in it and possibly on the tooth next to it which has had a crown for years. He won't know until he can take the crown off and see "what's going on". And by the way, that's $10,000 for 2 teeth. One is an eye tooth and I'd have to pay another $700  for a "false tooth" until they do the permanent implant in 6 months.  I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't see "10,000 as a big deal. My dentist (who's 40) said "if it were my mother, I'd tell her to do it." Of course, him mother wouldn't be shelling out 10 G's.

... And Medicare is denying one of my meds.

Spoiler

[151949]

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@adelle38 wrote:

I thought I loved my old fashioned dentist until he retired in April and the fellow he sold his practice to said I needed 5 crowns replace and 4 fillings. What really bothered me is that 3 of the fillings were in teeth I'd been asking my good old dentist about for a couple of years and he said we'll just keep an eye on them.

To top it all off I broke what I thought was a filling Saturday and the dentist said I need an implant in it and possibly on the tooth next to it which has had a crown for years. He won't know until he can take the crown off and see "what's going on". And by the way, that's $10,000 for 2 teeth. One is an eye tooth and I'd have to pay another $700  for a "false tooth" until they do the permanent implant in 6 months.  I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't see "10,000 as a big deal. My dentist (who's 40) said "if it were my mother, I'd tell her to do it." Of course, him mother wouldn't be shelling out 10 G's.

... And Medicare is denying one of my meds.

Spoiler

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I totally understand what you are going through. I , also, do not have thousands of dollars to spend at the dentist. The real kick in the butt is my health insurance will pay 100% for me to have my teeth pulled and get dentures.

[adelle38]

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@151949 wrote:

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@adelle38 wrote:

I thought I loved my old fashioned dentist until he retired in April and the fellow he sold his practice to said I needed 5 crowns replace and 4 fillings. What really bothered me is that 3 of the fillings were in teeth I'd been asking my good old dentist about for a couple of years and he said we'll just keep an eye on them.

To top it all off I broke what I thought was a filling Saturday and the dentist said I need an implant in it and possibly on the tooth next to it which has had a crown for years. He won't know until he can take the crown off and see "what's going on". And by the way, that's $10,000 for 2 teeth. One is an eye tooth and I'd have to pay another $700  for a "false tooth" until they do the permanent implant in 6 months.  I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't see "10,000 as a big deal. My dentist (who's 40) said "if it were my mother, I'd tell her to do it." Of course, him mother wouldn't be shelling out 10 G's.

... And Medicare is denying one of my meds.

Spoiler

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I totally understand what you are going through. I , also, do not have thousands of dollars to spend at the dentist. The real kick in the butt is my health insurance will pay 100% for me to have my teeth pulled and get dentures.

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Now that surprises me. I think I might consider it if Medicare paid for it. I feel like my mouth is a money pit.