Well it's 3:15am here in the Midwest and I'm up with anxiety and a bit of a tooth ache :( I have genetically bad teeth and I've battled cavities my whole life. I had a tooth break some time ago (the filling) in the back and I've put it off way too long and now I'm certain I need another root canal and crown. And of course why not on a weekend it starts hurting when I chew (price I pay for letting it go). So soft foods for me and a very expensive trip to the dentist will start my week. The anxiety comes from knowing that my dentist will say I need a root canal and the process I went through last time was horrendous again from putting it off too long funny as it sounds the root canal was the best part didn't hurt at all. I was in horrible pain prior to the root canal and didn't eat much for days. The worst part about this is no dental insurance and why we don't have it is bc I couldn't even use it for what I need done now so paying for something you can't use while forking out thousands of dollars for dental work is hard to stomach. I have intentions of getting it once the work is done that wouldn't be covered. Hopefully the pain doesn't escalate to the point it did last time bc that and the cost is why I'm a nervous wreck right now. I'm sure I'm not completely alone in this. I'm just kicking myself in the butt for not getting the crown sooner and possibly avoiding the root canal :( Sorry for the rant just needed to take my mind off this for a few minutes. Just a side note I'm not big into sweets I actually find it hard to eat most of what I bake bc I don't really like a lot of sweets but my biggest enemy is my morning coffee with sugar and pop. I'm a total pop addict usually drink one every other day and that's with using restraint some times I drink it more often than that. But I'm a good brusher, flosser, and use mouth wash twice daily but I still have issues with my teeth:(

Once or twice a week I brush with one drop of essential oregano oil then I wet my toothbrush and brush. They say the oregano oil kills bacteria in your teeth. I bought it at Vitacost. It seems to help me a whole lot. They also say you can put lavender oil on a cotton ball and put it on your tooth that hurts.  So sorry for your tooth and hope you feel better soon!!

So does chewing cloves. 

By the way, if you want to have good  and healthy mouth dont go for mouth wash without fluoride that only washes away the protection.  Only brush your teeth 30 minutes after you have eaten,  because brushing to early can cause more problem.   Rinse with fluoride once or twice per day. 

Thanks for the tips!! My mouthwash has fluoride in it I double checked and it is anticavity. I'm hoping to get in tomorrow for a root canal then I'll worry about the crown. I'm starving and don't want to be in pain anymore lol.

Sorry to hear about your toothache. If it is going to be a big and expensive job, maybe you would be better off extracting the offending tooth? Your other teeth will move to cover the gap which can be painful for 3 months or so, so you could ask for a fake tooth to be made to fill up the space. They anchor it to the adjoining teeth. Unfortunately, soft drinks erode tooth enamel, brushing or no brushing, and it makes no difference if they contain sugar or substitutes. 

Hope you can sort it out soon. I would have thought that if you are going private anyway, there would have been a dentist to see you on a weekend. 

you can get great tooth ache stuff at walgreen's or most any pharmacy -- both pain killer and temporary filling material that you make yourself & stick in there --

to calm down an out of control raging tooth -- squizzle salt + water then baking soda + water mixtures in & out of the area -- the salt kills the sugar and the baking soda cleans it out real good  -- put one of the temporary fillings on there after this cleaning and you should be fine -- if it starts to zing quickly repeat squizzling -- *squizzle means to suck the liquid back & forth into that area across the bad tooth -- once the food is removed and the tooth is sealed off there should be no more exquisite pain -- will probably stay swollen till you get antibiotics though --

works for me

*i kinda made up this word

Oh I wish I could do that but swishing my mouth wash and having any suction causes pain :( if I just leave it alone it doesn't hurt. 10 more minutes and the dentist office opens. I've still not decided what I'm doing pulling it or root canal. I just don't want a missing tooth and I'm pretty sure it can be seen when I smile but spending $2300 kills me. If I get the root canal then I'll need a crown and I have 2 other fillings that need done. Tough call for sure. 

oh ugh, I hope you can get this taken care of today. Tooth pain is the worst :(

Oh, that is a bummer.  Hope you're feeling better soon, Webake.

I got in to see the dentist today and found that it's my molar that's bad and does need a crown however it may also need a root canal but they weren't certain until they prep it for the crown. I think bc it's my molar and the fact that I will likely need a root canal we've (my husband and I) decided that I'm going to have it pulled fill my two cavities and start the process to get dentures. After careful thought and realization my teeth will only continue to cause major problems. Even with routine dental care and proper oral hygiene my teeth just continue to get worse  I'm only 29 and I've lost 2 molars on top and have a filling in every tooth (some have been filled multiple times) I have a crown and a root canal has been done and there is still $2,300 worth of work left. Every year I find myself in horrible pain unable to eat bc another tooth has gone bad. Physically, emotionally and financially I can't afford  to maintain my bad teeth. My oldest son has the same issues with his teeth and each year we spend around $1000 to keep them healthy so he doesn't have the same issues as I do. Something has to give here and I'm aware of the cons of dentures but saving my teeth is a total lost cause. I'm super bummed but I just want to have a period in my life that doesn't involve these issues. As far back as I can remember it's been a battle :( 

oh and my dentist gave me some good meds and said take this one when your ready to sleep bc that's exactly what you'll do  lol. Plus some ibuprofen for during the day while I need to function. 

well at least you've got some meds and the decision is behind you -- tooth pain is so severe/rotten/rude/rude/rude -- hopefully you can great relief from now on --

best to you

Sounds like you made the best decision for you.  Hope you get some good sleep tonight :)

Get those teeth out of there! You'll be so glad you did. I've had trouble with my teeth since I was 7 years old. As a result, it was a serious struggle to go to the dentist. My brother is a dentist and I've been in his chair exactly twice.

I finally had them out in '08. No more pain and I can pretty much eat everything I want. Being able to say my name took a couple of weeks but finally managed that.

Sorry this came up right now when you don't need more problems. Best of luck to you.

Stinks to hear I'm not alone @jgifford  but glad that you've been happy with your choice. I'm nervous about the process of pulling teeth and getting dentures but it certainly can't be any worse than this. im not sure what my dentist will think or say over my decision and I realize the importance of keeping your real teeth but I don't feel it's fair for that to be imposed on those of us who lose the never ending battle. 

Thanks @-K8memphis  and @Jinkies  I am going to hit the hay real soon just finished clear coating the floor lol. 

Update: my bottom teeth are in great shape and don't need much work (a few small fillings need done) but my top teeth are in bad shape 6 definitely need extensive work (or pulled) and 6 are perfectly fine so I have two options. Do a partial denture on top pulling 6 teeth leaving the front 6 teeth or do a complete set of top dentures. I'm getting the offending tooth pulled tomorrow and my impressions for my dentures done. The price for the partial set is $1960 and the price for the full set (top only) is $2995. I've not decided which way I'm going yet but we have a few options FINALLY lol. They also said I have some gum infection going on but I've never in my life heard of that and that treatment is $600 I'm doing some more research on all of it before I commit to anything except pulling the tooth. Also found out my root canal and crown I have were not successful and would need redone too so that sealed the deal on dentures lol. Not a quick fix but it's more options to a better future for my teeth :)

My husband had full dentures put in a few years ago. We had to do it twice because first time it was some fly by night place who made what appeared to be baby teeth and he looked ridiculous plus they did not fit at all.

The second time he went and he had to go get impressions on his gums probably 4-5 times which he thought was ridiculous but in the end because they kept fitting his gums the dentures he got fit so tight that he never has to wear pollident because they fit like a glove.

He said this was the best thing that ever happened to him. No more dentists or problems.

He can eat anything now and teeth stay put. At night he literally has to try to break the suction of dentures from teeth because they fit so well.

Thanks for sharing @remnant3333  I just want to have some normalcy with my teeth. My husband also said we need to make sure they know what they are doing with dentures bc someone he knew for them and the gum to tooth ratio was way off like you described teeth the size of baby teeth. I have big teeth I really do so I can't have some small little dentures lol. I know this will be a long process for me but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. 25 years is far too long to deal with something like this and I have hope I'm going in the right direction. I'm so relived my bottom teeth are good because I'd probably faint at the cost to do a full set of dentures lol. 

New dentures need to be soaked in a warm water solution of 50% Dettol. Learned that recently because mum got an allergic reaction to the materials used to make dentures and a friend of mine who used to be a dental technician told me this is what they used to do before sending them off to clients but he claims most workshops won't do this. 

Oh wow thanks for the tip! I got the tooth pulled Saturday  and I already feel better having it gone :)

So sorry you have to go through this.  Something else you might want to think about because you're still so young is dental implants.  They are the most like your original teeth.  They are pricey but since you could still have another 50 years of use it would be worth it.

If I could afford 12 implants I'd have them :) unfortunately they just aren't in our budget lol  they are supposed to last a lifetime so that is awesome. My grandma has had dentures since she was 12 (trampoline accident) and has only had 3 sets in 60 years. 

Okay, how about for every 500 cakes get a new tooth!

When I read that @Pastrybaglady  I was like one every 500 cakes that will take a lifetime lol. We have to pay ourselves back for this commercial Kitchen before we ever profit lol. Our plan is to recoup what we have in it in  18 months (or less). Plus I'm not sure if I could handle one tooth being pulled once a year I have 11 left to go and I'm too much of a wimp to go through them one by one all at once next time and I plan on being medicated significantly and sleeping for 2 days. I've healed well and I'm pretty much eating what I want other than crunchy foods. So all in all good experience the first 45 minutes after the numbness wore off was awful but  I survived ;)

Implants do not always work out and you could end up with bigger problems than you started with.

I'm resurrecting this thread with a few questions for those with dentures :)

so I go next week for my impressions and then once my top dentures are done I'll go to the oral surgeon to extract the 11 remaining teeth. The pain with my last extraction was horrendous and now I'm terrified. I wasn't put under anesthesia last time but will be this time and I'm hoping that helps bc last time it was pure agony. My questions for those who've been through it or have someone close that has had them are:

• how long did the discomfort last? 

•what are some helpful tips to healing with an immediate placed denture?

•how many days did you have to do light activity? (One tooth being pulled is not the same as 11 and I want to make sure I'm scheduling things to allow me time to recoup. I was finishing construction on our kitchen the day after my tooth was pulled despite my husband telling me to sit down and it was awful lol.) 

•are there any questions I should be asking prior to the impressions and extractions? 

• did it change the way you looked? I have pretty noticeable overbite yep buck teeth lol and my husband says he likes my smile now and thinks I will look completely different. And of course now im wondering if I'll look different. 

•were there things your regretted about getting dentures? 

thanks in advance :) 

I too will be interested in the answers to your ?s.   I am not having any work done in the foreseeable future but do have very bad teeth.  In the past when I had pain/infected teeth I had them pulled mainly due to the difference in cost over having a root canal/  Also because I have heard such horrible stories about the pain of a root canal.  I have at least 5 broken teeth :(  And I'm told every remaining tooth has a cavity :( 

Have you looked into magnesium deficiency as a possibility?  It can wreak havoc on your teeth ... and cause anxiety.  I had horrible problems with my teeth until I started supplementing with it.  I hope the best for you.

Nancy

@kakeladi ‍ I'm sorry you have battled with bad teeth it's awful :( I've had 3 molars pulled and a bad root canal and crown all on my upper teeth.  The root canal itself was not painful matter of fact it was the least of the problem it was the pain prior to and the failed root canal and subsequent failed crown that has been the biggest discomfort and frustration. I've noticed my teeth detriorating at a much faster rate since my second pregnancy(6years ago). I was able to maintain my teeth with fillings and good hygiene but since my second pregnancy I've experienced teeth breaking, infections and ultimately cavities being so bad that root canals or extractions are the only  option for treatment. In my personal experience if I could go back I would not have done the root canal and crown. It was a waste of money and has hurt pretty much since it was done obviously not as severe as it did when the tooth was infected and the cavity was severe but chewing meat hurts and it lightly throbs almost constantly. The cost to retreat is sometimes more than the initial root canal and it can damage the crown as well.  I sure hope there is an end in sight for you sooner than later. You probably know exactly what I mean when I say I don't know what it's like to eat normally there is a constant fear of pain or which tooth will break next. Not to mention the fact that pain radiates so my ears and face also hurt. It's nuts how these little teeth can be such a pain. 

@Nancylou ‍ that is definitely something to look into moving forward in maintaining my lower teeth. I get to keep them bc they are in much better shape thankfully :) I also am certain that a lack of proper calcium intake is a major factor for me as well. Milk upsets my stomach although I'm not lactose intolerant I do have IBS and milk triggers flare ups. And the texture of yogurt makes me gag but I can tolerate Greek yogurt a little more but still not on a daily basis. Just a FYI I don't recall a time in my life where I didn't go to the dentist and have a new cavity it goes as far back as 5 years old. So I've probably been deficient my whole life lol. 

So glad you updated us. I've been lurking since I fried my laptop with coffee and have to use my phone.

I think you'll be very happy with dentures. I had one more visit to the dentist left in me, so I had 23 teeth pulled all at once and dentures put in the same day. The healing afterward has never been a problem.

My hubby took me straight from the dentist to Dairy Queen and bought me the first milkshake I'd had in years. It was wonderful! 

The soreness didn't last but a couple of days and gently rinsing with warm salt water helped immensely.

I went back to work immediately with only the weekend off. With 2 kids and 2 grandkids at home, it was self-defense.

I really miss chewing gum, but have learned to live without it. All of them stick to my teeth now. My slight overbite caused abit of a problem since my dentures were made to line up so biting into food requires a little maneuvering but it can be done.

All in all, I wish I had done it years sooner. There has been no pain at all since.

Just a couple of points I got straight from a dentist: 

1 A root canal should not hurt. If it needs to be done, the tooth will have no feeling.

2 The life expectancy of a crown is only about 5 years.

Hope some of this helps.

Thanks for responding @jgifford ‍!! Sorry to hear about the laptop what a bummer!! the dentist who did the crown said it was fine other dentists have said otherwise so judging by the pain and the gap that has formed between my gum and the crown I'd say it's not fine lol. 

I don't chew gum so I'm good with that but the overbite has me concerned as mine is not slight haha!!! I can imagine that will take some adjusting but thanks for telling me that as I can now discuss that with my dentist Tuesday.  I'm really looking forward to eating normally it's been awhile. I haven't been on with the ice cream or anything frozen for probably the last year so maybe I'll have a milkshake too :)