Monday, February 6, 2012

I'd Rather Have a Root Canal!

Actually, I would!

The crown I acquired after the bite into the baguette debacle in November in Mexico has never been right.  It's sensitive to everything -- hot, cold, air, liquids, and pressure.  I've been popping countless Ibuprofen and Aleve since November in hopes that it would eventually calm down.

Sometimes I get weird little flashes of intuition that turn into reality.  On my last appointment in Cancun, after cementing the crown, the dentist was rushing off to a different office to do a root canal on a patient.  I immediately wondered if my crown procedure would lead to that, but then dismissed the thought as silly. 

The crown didn't feel right from the beginning.  I spent the rest of my trip biting out of the side of my mouth, and beach trips were short since my teeth were sensitive to the breeze.  I thought maybe it would just take a few weeks for that nerve to die down. 

I started seeing my dentist here in January.  He spent multiple appointments adjusting the bite in hopes that the simplest solution would do the trick.  We gave it three weeks, but the sensitivity just amped up to an all new level.  How bad is it?  I can't even ride my bike because unless I keep my mouth shut tight, air hits the tooth and yeoooowww!

I saw the endodontist on Thursday and after examining it, he said the tooth was traumatized in the crown procedure and the nerve is crying uncle.  The fat lady is singing!

Open wide and bring on the nitrous oxide!  I'm off to see my new best friend in hopes that I'll have a pain free mouth in a few days. 



On a side note, my son called me yesterday to let me know he was getting ready to jump out of an airplane.  He loves to call and tell me things like that because he knows it will drive me nuts.  After wishing him well and making a few jokes about his new adventure, I told him that personally -- I'd rather have a root canal!




7 comments:

krisla said...

Such a bummer...My husband had 2 root canals & 2 crowns in Merida last fall, with great results (& low cost). I wonder if it's better to go there? take care--k

Janet said...

Awwww darn it Becky! Well now you can get it treated and start to feel better. I'd rather have a root canal than jump out of an airplane at this point in my life as well. Good luck to you!

Life's a Beach! said...

Kris and Janet, the root canal went great. The endodontist was able to do the procedure without cracking the crown and the tooth feels normal (no pain) for the first time since the crown was installed. What a relief! I've got dental insurance, so my cost was less than half the price I saw quoted on the message board last week. Hopefully, it's all good now! Plop plop fizz fizz! : )

drgeo said...

Let's see, you say it only hurt when you opened your mouth? The straight lines you offer are irresistible . But I will exercise MY right to remain silent. Glad your mouth is fixed.

GoodMusicInThere said...

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Very good music blog! ;)

Life's a Beach! said...

drgeo,LOL! I can't believe the difference now. We took a long bike ride in the wind this afternoon and no problem. It's a huge relief!

Williams Schermer said...

Whew, lucky for you that your tooth's doing fine now. I'm sure you can eat your favorite hot and cold foods without any sensitivity, huh.