We coulda bought a small island with the amount we've spent
on dental care for me over the years. And I just keep rackin'
it up! Last Wednesday I went in for a crown and a filling.
Five-hundread-and-six-dollars later, they told me I just need
one more crown and then I'm done for awhile.
Hallelujah!!
Except, not so fast.
My mouth was sore for a few days after, which is normal.
Then aching gave way to sharpe, excrutiating pain requiring
more and more Motrin. Monday and Tuesday were almost
unbearable. So, I went to the see the dentist again, thinking
I might have an infection where they'd worked. He said
what I was describing was an exposed nerve, but he wasn't
certain which tooth was giving me problems. So, he gave me
some Vicadin (sweet relief!) but suggested I let the Motrin
wear off completely before taking anything else so I might
be able to isolate the source of the discomfort. He said to push
down on each tooth with my fingertip.
I did --
And holy.mother.of.god.
I found the culprit!
It wasn't either of the ones they worked on Wednesday but
another one altogether.
With the help of 5 Motrin, 2 Vicadin and the first glass
of wine I've had in weeks, I got pretty comfortable
last night.
Today, they squeezed me in for an emergency root canal
(cha-ching!) and the pressure and pain is GONE.
I am so thankful for
dental insurance
pain pills
skilled dentists
and my understanding husband.
Today wasn't bad at all.
There's the silver lining I was looking for!
3 comments:
Just wondering...is the $506+ being paid by the insurance company or is this the amount you have to pay over and beyond insurance?
Another question, when did you start having such issues with your dental health? Did you go as a child?
I sure do hope things get better for you soon!
I bet last night knocked you right out! :o)
No. the $506 is my co-pay. Crowns cost about $1000, and insurance doesn't cover as much of them as it does other work (fillings, root canals, etc.) They did cover 80% of the filling and the root canal though. So, I only paid $175 for the root canal today.
As a kid, I didn't have any fillings. I think I got one in high school. Then, from 17 to 24, I didn't have any dental insurance. I didn't get cleanings at all during that time. I'm sure there were small fillings that formed then that had they been done, would have prevented larger problems down the road. My dentists have told me I have really soft teeth. So, even when I do get fillings, they end up breaking down and needing to be redone after a few years. They said my problmes are 75% genetic and 25% care. I got some work done in MI during 2000. That was the year before we left for Texas. I had a lot of work done, without the benefit of insurance, when I first got out there, too. The whole 4 years we lived in Texas, I fit in as many appointments as I could afford. Then we moved to Arizona, and I didn't do anything for about a year. I started having a few things done right before we went to Ireland. Then, with that move, I took another year off. Since we've been back to Arizona, I've been back in the chair. It looks like I might be able to finish it all up this year and just maintain. That would be such a blessing!!!
oh, i so understand all of this. i'm so glad you're feeling better! whew...nothing hurts like mouth pain! ugh!
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