I think I have a broken wisdom tooth.

[LaraMN]

:scared:

It's totally freaking me out. It doesn't hurt, but I can feel a jagged, hole-y spot, up by my gumline. I'm borderline horrified. I've never even had a cavity. I wonder if they'll just pull it out? I've never had novicaine or anything. It's so creepy, I keep touching it with my tongue. I just know I'm going to have dental nightmares. When I developed sensitive teeth, I thought I had a bunch of cavities and I had constant nightmares about all my teeth falling out. Teeth bite.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. You need to see a dentist TODAY.

Any time you get a crack in a tooth, go immediately to dentist. Do not pass go. Do not wait. It can fill up with junk and then get infected.

Most likely, since it's a wisdom tooth, they'll just pull it and save you the $800-900 for a cap. If it were another tooth, they'd likely cap it (assuming the crack didn't go all the way down).

But, I'm no dentist, and only an X-ray and a professional can actually tell you what's happening.

All I can really tell you is that you need to see a dentist TODAY.

[LaraMN]

5. I'll call today. I need to go have a cleaning, anyway.

I swear, if it's not my fucking car falling apart, it's my body. There's aaaalways something.

[Lochloosa]

2. Have it removed...but forget the novocaine

go to an oral surgeon and tell him/her you want laughing gas and IV valium. Make sure there is someone to drive you home. And you might as well have all four taken out while your doing it.

[LaraMN]

4. The issue there being no dental insurance.

I would've had them all pulled already, but they haven't hurt and I can't afford to pay out-of-pocket for four extractions. Ugh. Thank YOU wonderful US health care system.:mad:

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. If the wisdom teeth aren't posing a problem, they don't need to

be taken out.

It sounds like your mouth has adequate space for them.

I had asked my dentist about my wisdom teeth, and he said, "Nope, they're in there fine - we don't do unneccessary surgeries".

[eyesroll]

8. I did four wisdom teeth (one impacted, three partially erupted) awake,

in one shot, with Novocaine. I decided the 45 minutes of discomfort was better than the three days of nausea (which I'd experienced previously with twilight anesthetic).

If you can deal with it (it's not painful, so much as weird), this is the way to go -- recovery time's faster (I was getting cabin fever by that evening -- my mom made me take three days off of my summer job; I was 17), it costs less, you don't need a ride home (although it helps), you don't need to fast beforehand. They'll write you a prescription for vicodin or percoset or something fun like that, but I don't handle opiates well, so I never took any. I stuck to Advil and ice (fill a rubber glove up with water and freeze) and that's about all I needed.

Lara -- do see a dentist. S/he can advise you on your options -- if you can't afford four out-of-pocket extractions, maybe do just this one, if that's what's advised.

[WCGreen]

3. That Smarts....

[In_The_Wind]

6. Please see your dentist.

relax, it's not as bad as it used to be ...