Broken Molar:-0

[KevinM]

So after two weeks, a trip to the ER, a 20-day antibiotic regimen, poking and prodding with instruments of torture and various X-Rays, the diagnosis is the mystery traveling pain in my jaw is caused by a fractured molar. Bah! It's the last molar on the lower left. And the space beside has been vacant for, oh, 50 years, probably. The remedy is to extract it, let it heal, then put in an implant. Then let that heal. And until this process is complete and fully healed -- two months, probably -- I'm to "absent myself from felicity," I.e., give up my pipes! Well, I can understand not smoking with a healing wound in my mouth. But sitting with pipe in hand watching the stars come out is one of my favorite summer evening things. Fortunately it's also one of my favorite Fall evening things, too. Bah!!. . . But I repeat myself. No idea how I broke it. Dentist said it was mostly filling, there's a lot of pressure on that spot, and they get brittle with age. No, I'm not much of a clencher.

 

[Timbo]

Ouch Kevin, sounds like a painful journey for you. Hope the time passes quickly and that's a major buggeration not being able to puff away and console yourself that way.

Have to agree with you, I love sitting and watching the stars of an evening whilst gently puffing on my pipe. It's good for the soul.

All the best

Tim

 

[Richard Burley]

Been there, etc. Teeth are a pain in the ass...er, jaw. And the cost! I asked my dentist about smoking after an extraction, and he said, "sure...why not?" Doc Holliday, I think his name was. Liked to gamble and twirl his revolvers. I waited a day to be on the safe side, then resumed the pipe, with no ill effects.

 

[RDPipes]

The no smoking thing after a extraction is they don't want ya getting dry socket from sucking too hard but, I've found that if one draws lightly everything is fine and have never had a problem. As far as a molar wayyyy in the back being removed and replaced? If you have all your teeth I really doubt you'll miss that molar and save yourself the money on a nonessential molar implant. I'm missing 4 of mine and it doesn't bother me a bit., Of course you know how us redneck, hillbilly, toothless, bastards are, if we got a tooth left it'll be gold and in the front to show off.

 

[Fr_Tom]

The no smoking thing after a extraction is they don't want ya getting dry socket from sucking too hard but, I've found that if one draws lightly everything is fine and have never had a problem. As far as a molar wayyyy in the back being removed and replaced? If you have all your teeth I really doubt you'll miss that molar and save yourself the money on a nonessential molar implant. I'm missing 4 of mine and it doesn't bother me a bit.,  Of course you know how us redneck, hillbilly, toothless, bastards are, if we got a tooth left it'll be gold and in the front to show off.  

Cart speaks truth. I had to have a root canal, and then I was going to get a crown once the new insurance year kicked in (6 weeks). While eating a biscuit about a week into the 6 weeks, the root canal tooth cracked. It could not be salvaged and had to be pulled. I was really hating the money I has spent on the root canal.

They warn you about drinking out of straws too. I did not have any problems with the pipe smoking but I was a little paranoid at first about draw.

 

[leacha]

Like Cart I don't have any of the back molars, top or bottom. When I was 20 I had one that couldn't be saved so it was pulled. 20+ years later, after another cavity I had the other three removed. With one gone you'll never notice it. All four? You'll never notice it.

Save your $$$ on the crown.

 

[monbla256]

I got ya ALL beat! I don't have any teeth at all !! Full dentures top and bottom is the way to go !! Plastics my boy, plastics as was told to the Graduate!! :twisted: :twisted:  I'd just disregard anything they tell you and do what YOU WANT to do !! This is Amurica and how dare someone try and tell you what to do!! The fact that there may be a good reason is beside the point !! :twisted: :twisted:  It's about what YOU WANT !! :twisted: :twisted: All my patriotic ranting aside, I'd suggest you just "suck it up" as they say and do what the RX tells you. You want to ENJOY those moments watching the sunset don't you? :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Fumus]

" Of course you know how us redneck, hillbilly, toothless, bastards are, if we got a tooth left it'll be gold and in the front to show off. "

:lol!: :lol!: :lol!:

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't invest in an implant. I am missing one on the bottom and adapted just fine.

Dentists are crooks. Save your money to buy more pipes and tobaccos and a few really nice things for the Missus. :cheers:

 

[KevinM]

Thank you for your comments. The dentists -- one of which has been working on my choppers for 40 years -- say that I'm now missing two molars on the left side, and the problem with an " asymmetrical bite" is that it shifts more of the burden to the opposite side which may / could / might result in another busted tooth, since they're all of a certain age. The no smoking until etc edict is supported by my daughter the ER nurse -- aka "Nurse Bossy" -- who advises that an infected wound one foot upstream of my heart must be given every opp to heal with no avoidable impediments. I think she added "at your age" though under her breath. Besides, my dental insurance will pay 50 percent of it, I think/ hope / expect. Might not be a bad idea for clenchers to buy some of those soft rubber things that fit over bits. Thank you all, again.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

I got ya ALL beat! I don't have any teeth at all !! Full dentures top and bottom is the way to go !! Plastics my boy, plastics as was told to the Graduate!! :twisted: :twisted:  I'd just disregard anything they tell you and do what YOU WANT to do !! This is Amurica and how dare someone try and tell you what to do!! The fact that there may be a good reason is beside the point !! :twisted: :twisted:  It's about what YOU WANT !! :twisted: :twisted: All my patriotic ranting aside, I'd suggest you just "suck it up" as they say and do what the RX tells you. You want to ENJOY those moments watching the sunset don't you? :twisted: :twisted:

word.............

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Thank you for your comments. The dentists -- one of which has been working on my choppers for 40 years -- say that I'm now missing two molars on the left side, and the problem with an " asymmetrical bite" is that it shifts more of the burden to the opposite side which may / could / might result in another busted tooth, since they're all of a certain age. The no smoking until etc edict is supported by my daughter the ER nurse -- aka "Nurse Bossy" -- who advises that an infected wound one foot upstream of my heart must be given every opp to heal with no avoidable impediments.  I think she added "at your age" though under her breath. Besides, my dental insurance will pay 50 percent of it, I think/ hope / expect. Might not be a bad idea for clenchers to buy some of those soft rubber things that fit over bits. Thank you all, again.

Asymmetrical bite, eh? Ever pay attention to how you chew? Personally, I bite in the front, which means no pressure to the back. Asymmetrical. Then, I might toss it about whist chewing. Left, then right, or the reverse. Asymmetrical. Unfortunately, most of my food is roundish, not flat.

I say,

smirk.

I WILL say, I have had some teeth pulled, and the funny thing is, your teeth spread out to fill the gaps. Yup, they 'migrate'.

just passing on what my dental tech. tells me....

I made a choice based on that logic.........

 

[KevinM]

I should have added that a standing joke in our extended family is that my missus -- a native Mainer -- is the only one in her family who still has her own teeth. (She left Maine shortly after HS.) The other three siblings have only four original equipment teeth between them. The practice in Maine is that dentures are considered inevitable, fillings are considered expensive, so they just wait until the pain becomes unbearable and then have the steenkin' things extracted as needed, adjusting their eating technique as required. After a critical point is passed, it's just having a few remaining stragglers out and replaced with a splendid set of gleaming full dentures. When I mentioned to my brother-in-law that I might get an implant he asked how much it cost. When I told him, he replied that he bought a perfectly good pickup truck last year for less.

 

[MisterE]

I'd do my best to keep my teeth, if I could. They're pretty handy sometimes! :mrgreen: <------- Has all his.

 

[Brewdude]

Glad to have mostly all of my original teef at 62. Had the wisdom ones extracted in my early 20's (all but one, and I'm now not sure that even getting the other 3 were necessary.)

And had one lower front incisor removed at age ~ 12, due to a big chip. Why they didn't choose to cap it is still a mystery to me. About this time I had to have braces due to an overbite.

'eff me, but looking over the photos of me in those days one would never say I had that condition. Yet it cost my folks $3K in early '60's $$, and they never let me forget it!

Had to wear the headcap, multiple elastics (rubber bands) for many years. Altogether a very dispiriting experience for a pre-teen.

My position now is that it was a scam perpetuated by "qualified professionals", and my folks bought into it.

My present Dentist perpetuates some BS about having to perform costly X-rays and such every so often to avoid lawsuits. I say BS to that. And I don't have dental insurance, so they can bite me!

Rant over!

Cheers,

RR

 

[RDPipes]

Glad to have mostly all of my original teef at 62. Had the wisdom ones extracted in my early 20's (all but one, and I'm now not sure that even getting the other 3 were necessary.)

And had one lower front incisor removed at age ~ 12, due to a big chip. Why they didn't choose to cap it is still a mystery to me. About this time I had to have braces due to an overbite.

'eff me, but looking over the photos of me in those days one would never say I had that condition. Yet it cost my folks $3K in early '60's $$, and they never let me forget it!

Had to wear the headcap, multiple elastics (rubber bands) for many years. Altogether a very dispiriting experience for a pre-teen.

My position now is that it was a scam perpetuated by "qualified professionals", and my folks bought into it.

My present Dentist perpetuates some BS about having to perform costly X-rays and such every so often to avoid lawsuits. I say BS to that. And I don't have dental insurance, so they can bite me!

Rant over!

Cheers,

RR

Couldn't agree more sir, rant on!

 

[juanmedusa]

A tragedy sir, sorry to hear it.

 

[Stick]

This is the problem when you're completely at the mercy of a medical professional. We give them an automatic trust. We wouldn't do this for anyone else as we'd expect others to prove their trustworthiness first. And the medical professionals are tinkering with our bodies! It's a recipe for disaster!

 

[MichaelM]

I'm sorry to hear about that Kevin. Whatever you decide to do make sure it is what you want and not just what the Doc is pushing due to his impending boat payment. I have a full set of choppers with some crowns and fillings. Recently a molar broke below the gum line. The funny thing is that it happened months after a root canal that caused me some apparently undiagnosable discomfort until the tooth broke. Since the break, I have been pain free and the tooth seems happy. My dentist wants me to go through the extraction implant process, but I just can't bring myself to do that when everything feels normal.
Best of luck with it,
Mike.

 

[KevinM]

Michael -- I hope your pain-free luck continues. It may be possible that you don't feel pain at the moment, because that nerve isn't working since the R.C. One reason I feel mostly calm about my diagnosis and recommended treatment is my family has been going to this dentist for 40 years, and he has always been conservative in treatment. He owns a boat, but I'd say he's come by it honestly. If your nerve has been decommissioned, you might want to watch for signs of infection in the area of your broken tooth. My Daughter the Nurse is of the firm opinion that infections, especially in the mouth, are not to be treated by Dr. Waitandsee. Thanks for your good wishes, and good luck. -- Kevin