This is a picture of Andy waiting for me outside the endodontist’s ofice yesterday.
It was warm and he wasn’t keen on waiting in the car, so he walked around and found this shady sitting area between two buildings. Good for him!
When we arrived I phoned the office to say I was there, and the gal told me to wait about ten minutes, then come to the second floor and sit on a bench. Someone would come out with paperwork for me to fill out. That part worked. The endodontist was about a half hour behind, then I was in the office for 15 minutes or less while he took an x-ray, explained why the tooth had to be removed, and talked about my options…do nothing, get an implant, or get a bridge.
He doesn’t do that kind of work, but he wanted to give me a heads up, which I thought was nice. He also said he would send a note to my dentist telling her what he saw.
So I phoned her office this morning, to arrange for the extraction I thought, but she wanted to know if I was going to get an implant or a bridge to replace the tooth. Say what??? I had expected to get the tooth removed then think about what to do next. So I have a brief appointment with her next Tuesday to talk about options.
I spent some time tonight reading about what happens if I do nothing. Most dentists don’t recommend it, but I’m guessing the best course of action is different when you’re 80 than if you’re a lot younger.
As usual, never a dull moment. Life is one adventure after another.
June 12, 2020
goodness that’s adventure of mega $ that wouldn’t want to undertake…if it wasn’t an important tooth, I would go for “take it out…”
Andy looks very relaxed on that outdoor bench…awaiting whatever.
I’m afraid it is important if I want to chew my food. 🙁
Good luck with your deliberations over the tooth. I only have 26 teeth because six were removed as a child – I had too many teeth for my small jaws. Glad to say I still have all 26 and haven’t needed any extractions as yet.
I’m happy for you. 🙂
I don’t blame Andy, I wouldn’t want to sit and wait in the car either.
Kind of sounds like a lot of appointments just to talk about options. I’m sure they want to do whatever is going to cost you the most.
We were glad the bench and shade were there. It’s a lot better than when we go to the eye doctor, but no complaints. We’re happy they’re trying to keep people safe.
Jeez, nothing is simple anymore is it.
No, it isn’t, it’s a whole new world.
Ya know… I think that’s standard dentist MO… they wouldn’t dream of extracting a tooth and then just leaving it. On the left side of my mouth I had two of the back-most molars removed, both on the top and on the bottom, 15 years ago… and never had anything put in their places. Nothing bad happened. The back-most molar on the right side, on the bottom, was taken out at that time as well. Same thing… nothing happened. The molar next to the one that was extracted, on the right bottom, lost a big chip out of it 7 years ago. I went to my (new) dentist to have it removed and she said she wouldn’t do that…. that I should save the tooth and get it repaired. Well I did… for a LOT of money. A few years later the “repair” chipped off too… so there went all that money down the drain. I should have gotten it extracted the first time around, like I wanted to. Moral of story: we can lose teeth without consequence so don’t let the dentists scare you into “fixing” something you know you can live without. Good luck, Jean. Love, Andrea xoxo PS~ Your hubby looks exactly like mine… legs crossed with magazine or puzzle book in his lap. That’s exactly what my husband would have done. 🙂
Thanks. I lose that picture of Andy. 🙂 I think I know what I will do, but I’ll talk to the dentist first. I really like her. Andy lost the last molar on the bottom, and that was no problem to ignore. The second-to-the-last one is a bit trickier, especially because when you need it to chew with. We will see!
They don’t recommend leaving a space, unless it’s a back molar which didn’t have enough room, because your other teeth will then shift out of alignment. But, as you say, at age 80 how much of a concern is that? You and Andy being so healthy also might also make a difference in what you choose. My dad looked a lot like Andy and he lived to be 94–would you be OK without that tooth for another 14 years? So many things to consider.
I agree, I’ll probably do something.
Hello! I have had a similar experience and want to let you know of a resource I found in my research. Last December I found I had a front tooth abcess that ate away a dime sized patch of the underlying bone (identified by the Endodontist’s fancy x-ray) and then had to see my dentist to discuss options. If I did an implant I had to have the tooth pulled by an oral surgeon who would do a bone graft for later. If I did a bridge I could get it pulled by the dentist, but my adjacent teeth were too fragile (age 77) and had root canals, etc. So my center front tooth was pulled on Christmas Eve morning!
The plan was to x-ray end of March to see if the bone had regrown enough to proceed with the implant, but by then all Iowa Dental Offices were shut down except for emergencies. I was re-scheduled to end of April, then again to end of May. The offices opened up that last week but I cancelled my appointment. Des Moines Iowa metro was a hotspot at that time and there was no way I was willing to begin a multiple event process, first implanting the post, then eventually building the tooth onto it.
So, I began researching online and found this site, filled with all sorts of information!! http://www.bauersmiles.com and now have a consultation appointment end of July with my regular dentist to discuss a different approach. They had created an Essix Retainer that I have used, with one tooth, and I have done well enough that I think I can wait for the vaccine to arrive. It is sometimes irritating by the end of the day, though, so I am considering asking to have a Flipper as well, so I can trade off.The Flipper was never mentioned in our original discussion as it is apparently considered more of a temporary solution.
Our county, Polk County in Iowa is now at medium risk but there have been a number of protests here and I fully expect the numbers to rise before long. In addition, large numbers of people don’t wear masks, things have been opening up for several weeks and my husband and I feel it is best to remain at home, no dine in restaurants, our church is still closed, indoor activities are not in our plans, Period!
You didn’t mention your feelings about doing dental work right now, and maybe you are younger and don’t feel as vulnerable as we do, but I wanted you to be aware that things can actually proceed on Your timetable!
Good luck with it all!
Jeannine in Iowa
Thank you, that’s valuable information. The endodontist’s x-ray showed bone loss on both sides of the tooth, so I had assumed I would need a bone graft if I wanted an implant. I’m 80 and Andy’s 85, so saying no to that sounds like a no-brainer. Your description of waiting to see if the bone grows back is consistent with what happened to a friend of mine. In her case it did grow back enough for an implant. I don’t understand why my dentist said I needed to decide before she extracted the tooth. I will let you know after I talk to her.
I don’t envy you…and isn’t Nick lucky!
Yes, and I’m lucky in a lot of ways too, so I’m focusing on that.