PSA - If you think you cracked a tooth, get it checked out

[spidey07]

A few months ago I bit down while chewing and felt some resistance and heard/felt a crack. Think a pepper corn or something, or bone perfectly small enough to fit between your molars. Didn't think much of it, I just backed off and kept on going. There was never really any pain apart from the initial shock. I'm sure we've all done that. Visually inspected tooth and it looked good.

Never in any pain, didn't think much of it. Figured if I did damage I'd feel it.

Well fuck me. I was chomping down on a sammich and heard/felt the same crack. No pain, but now I could feel it with my tongue and see the tooth literally split down the middle. That was my molar literally split in half...all the way down and through the root.

So now my beloved tooth is gone, saw 3 different specialist who confirmed tooth could no be saved...he's gotta go.

So why the PSA? If you think you cracked a tooth go get it checked out - in my case there was no pain, even when the damn thing was split in half. If it's really just cracked it can be saved. If you don't you gonna lose that tooth.

I said goodbye to my favorite tooth by cooking him a perfect prime strip steak medium rare before extraction.

 

[coldmeat]

Hmm. I broke a tiny chip off one of my teeth a couple years ago biting into a sandwich. It was the tooth I used to bite my nails. I'm not sure if I've been to the dentist since then or not...

 

[spidey07]

After this experience of losing a tooth I'm going to the dentist a lot more regularly just to check things out. He was puzzled there was no pain. Took him 3 hours to extract the tooth while I sat there and watched him do it.

Normally I let my body tell me if something is wrong. In my case, there was no pain. Now my beloved #19 is gone and I need work. Sucks. I've never so much as had a cavity or anything and I lost my major chomper.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Molar of the story: go to the dentist every year, and sooner if there might be a problem.

Sorry to hear that. I needed a root canal last month for #19 (infected not cracked, no pain for me either), but the tooth was saved.

If they catch a crack early they can crown it and you might keep it for decades. And if they catch decay early it's a filling instead of a crown.

 

[spidey07]

Molar of the story: go to the dentist every year, and sooner if there might be a problem.

Sorry to hear that. I needed a root canal last month for #19 (infected not cracked, no pain for me either), but the tooth was saved.

If they catch a crack early they can crown it and you might keep it for decades. And if they catch decay early it's a filling instead of a crown.

Yeah, molar of the story (nice pun). If they catch it early it's not really a big deal and the tooth can be saved.

I used to think a root canal was some god awful thing. But after going through this it's a whole lot better than losing the tooth. I've got a hole in my mouth the size of a freaking nickel. sucks. Don't go though what I had to. Save the tooth.

My trouble was there was never any pain, no indication of trouble, tooth looked good to me.

 

[Bateluer]

Molar of the story: go to the dentist every year, and sooner if there might be a problem.

^ This. At least dental plans almost universally cover preventative care and regular cleanings. Dental work gets damn expensive very quickly.

Took a few thousand dollars and nearly 2 years for me to undo the damage USAF dentists did, and I still get to spend the rest of my life with permanent metal bands in my mouth and plastic retainers.

 

[sjwaste]

Hah. I had something similar. When I was 13 or so, I had a root canal due to internal resorption. I was back home one summer from college, bit into a sandwich, and the tooth was stuck in the roll. Broke off right at the root line. No saving it.

I still use a flipper (or a business tooth, as I call it) because up until this past year I was playing hockey. I have the surgical side of an implant in there already, I just need to get the crown built. The best part is, my dentist has signed off on it as medically necessary for eating since its a front canine, so my health insurance will pay for the ($5k) crown whenever I get around to doing it.

I might just get a grill instead.

 

[Slew Foot]

Shit, same thing just happened to me. Cracked an upper molar the other day and had to have it extracted. Im eventually getting a n implant, what are you doing?

 

[spidey07]

What suprised me was no pain. My teeth were in great shape.

Fucking sucks. I'm a foodie and losing 19 is a real loss for me. That's the work horse.

 

[spidey07]

Shit, same thing just happened to me. Cracked an upper molar the other day and had to have it extracted. Im eventually getting a n implant, what are you doing?

Seriously considering implant. Don't want a bridge. Cost not a problem.

 

[smitbret]

$5k for a crown!?. My insurance pays 50% for a crown and my half was a little over $500. That included all prep and is one of the new grind it while you wait/harder than the original porcelain types. Shop around.

 

[Schfifty Five]

I recently went to the dentist for my normal check up. They noticed an old filling on one of my molars looked a little dark underneath. I had to go back a week later to get a new small filling done and also had the old filling checked. Turned out the molar was completely decayed and the nerve/root exposed. I now have to get a root canal/crown done.

Glad I checked it out b/c while I had no pain in that tooth, over time it could have become really weak/brittle and could crack, rendering it a lost tooth. Now I can save it by putting a crown over it.

 

[jagec]

My mouth already looks like Jaws' from the Bond movies. Maybe I should make that long-overdue dental appointment...

 

[coldmeat]

My mouth already looks like Jaws' from the Bond movies. Maybe I should make that long-overdue dental appointment...

Your teeth are metal? I don't think you need a dentist.

 

[xSauronx]

A few months ago I bit down while chewing and felt some resistance and heard/felt a crack. Think a pepper corn or something, or bone perfectly small enough to fit between your molars. Didn't think much of it, I just backed off and kept on going. There was never really any pain apart from the initial shock. I'm sure we've all done that. Visually inspected tooth and it looked good.

Never in any pain, didn't think much of it. Figured if I did damage I'd feel it.

Well fuck me. I was chomping down on a sammich and heard/felt the same crack. No pain, but now I could feel it with my tongue and see the tooth literally split down the middle. That was my molar literally split in half...all the way down and through the root.

So now my beloved tooth is gone, saw 3 different specialist who confirmed tooth could no be saved...he's gotta go.

So why the PSA? If you think you cracked a tooth go get it checked out - in my case there was no pain, even when the damn thing was split in half. If it's really just cracked it can be saved. If you don't you gonna lose that tooth.

I said goodbye to my favorite tooth by cooking him a perfect prime strip steak medium rare before extraction.

ive got one that broke off at the edge i keep meaning to get checked out, needed to be pulled anyway but my insurance only would have covered it as of about 2 months ago and ive been busy as hell. i think its a wisdom tooth though, i can live without it.

 

[Scotteq]

Seriously considering implant. Don't want a bridge. Cost not a problem.

^^^


Implants are definitely more expensive than a Bridge...


...but Bridges affect the neighboring teeth: They have to be ground down and shaped to accept the appliance. Now you have two damaged teeth doing the work of three. If/every time there's any issue with one of the supporting teeth, the entire bridge has to come out. And if correcting the issue changes the shape of that tooth much, then you have to have a new bridge made. Also, even if nothing goes bad, you will have to replace the bridge every so often.

Done correctly, Implants are pretty much permanent.

 

[tcG]

+1 for implant. Don't despair. A good implant feels and functions almost completely like a natural tooth. The only difference in feel is because there is no ligament that the root is attached to, so when you clench your teeth you can't "feel" them like can with your natural teeth. Other than that, they feel completely natural. I would also do some research on different implant brands, as not all are created equal. Bicon implants, for example, have substantially less micro-leakage than others.

 

[John Connor]

After this experience of losing a tooth I'm going to the dentist a lot more regularly just to check things out. He was puzzled there was no pain. Took him 3 hours to extract the tooth while I sat there and watched him do it.

Normally I let my body tell me if something is wrong. In my case, there was no pain. Now my beloved #19 is gone and I need work. Sucks. I've never so much as had a cavity or anything and I lost my major chomper.

3 hours!!! Holy shit! It only took 5 minutes for my dentist to rip out a tooth.

 

[spidey07]

+1 for implant. Don't despair. A good implant feels and functions almost completely like a natural tooth. The only difference in feel is because there is no ligament that the root is attached to, so when you clench your teeth you can't "feel" them like can with your natural teeth. Other than that, they feel completely natural. I would also do some research on different implant brands, as not all are created equal. Bicon implants, for example, have substantially less micro-leakage than others.

Thanks. That's why I'm considering implant. Don't want to fuck with the two perfectly fine teeth neighbors.

 

[darkxshade]

Never had a cracked tooth but I imagine it would sound the same as when third molars get removed. How exactly does a cracked tooth get fixed?

 

[tcG]

That's my thinking, too. It definitely seems to be the most conservative, most permanent option.

By the way, good freaking luck following my suggestion about shopping around for implant brands. Any sort of "shopping around" (or even just getting quoted prices) when it comes to medical procedures is 10x more difficult than in any other market. For some reason in the healthcare industry, everything related to product comparison is a secret, the doctor acts like a goddamn wizard who can only be communicated through via his lackeys, and getting price quotes involves hiring a team of lawyers and filling out stacks of paperwork.

 

[Scotteq]

, the doctor acts like a goddamn wizard who can only be communicated through via his lackeys, and getting price quotes involves hiring a team of lawyers and filling out stacks of paperwork.

Alternatively, you could always bang his nurses. ^_^

 

[spidey07]

Never had a cracked tooth but I imagine it would sound the same as when third molars get removed. How exactly does a cracked tooth get fixed?

Probably root canal and a crown. The tooth would be saved before it got worse as in my case.

It's the underlying structure of the tooth that's important. Take a look at just how far down your teeth go into the jaw bone. The part you see is only like one quarter of the tooth.

 

[JEDI]

Yeah, molar of the story (nice pun). If they catch it early it's not really a big deal and the tooth can be saved.

I used to think a root canal was some god awful thing. But after going through this it's a whole lot better than losing the tooth. I've got a hole in my mouth the size of a freaking nickel. sucks. Don't go though what I had to. Save the tooth.

My trouble was there was never any pain, no indication of trouble, tooth looked good to me.

so r they going to put in a post (drill into jaw) and put in a fake tooth in place of #19 molar?

or the dentist says its ok to live the rest of your life w/that hole?

 

[spidey07]

Bridge or implant are my options. A buddy lost the same tooth and he just lives without the tooth.

I'd rather not risk my teeth shifting so I'll put something in its place.