My Wonderful Dentist Doesn't Know What's Coming

So those of you that know me... you know that I've done nothing but visit the dentist for a whole slew of dental problems since I've been in middle school. It all started with me needing braces in the 6th grade...

And I wish I could find some "before" pictures of how my mouth was before I got braces (so word to anyone that has OLD SCHOOL pictures of me... I'd love to see myself in my pre-braces days). But anyway, the braces got put on in the 6th grade and stayed in until the summer before 9th grade. My parents made sure that we would have the braces on long enough for them to do their thing, and still have them off before high school. Oh if only we knew at the time what would come....

So, after having braces, I still had lots of problems: over-bite, shrunk pallet, overcrowding...  you name it, I've had surgery or some kind of device for it. I'm actually required to wear a retainer at night for the rest of my life. 

Now here I am... done with everything... and my assumption was totally wrong.


It started with my wisdom teeth back in high school. My dentist saw that a teeny tiny cavity on my back molar was probably caused by my wisdom teeth coming in impacted instead of straight up like most people's. Of course, I've heard the nightmares of wisdom teeth and getting mine taken out - all four at once - was not on my list of priorities.


Since high school, I have taken meticulous care of my teeth: mainly because I feel if my parents can pour over $10,000 in my dental work; the least I could do is continue the process. I've done my annual cleaning and whitening since I've moved out of the state on top of basic fillings and what not. Then all of a sudden... disaster strikes: I wake up in the morning and my face is swollen five times it's normal size. I can't open my mouth and even trying to leaves me doubled over in agonizing pain. Fuck!! Time to go see a dentist.


And keep in mind that during this time... I'm in-between insurance coverage from my current employer, and my previous employer through COBRA. So... of course... I have NO INSURANCE. I walk into the dentist and after countless X-Rays, it has been determined that I had an abscess tooth. 

Why has this never happened to me before? Oh yes... and a side note: 

Due to my wisdom teeth coming in sideways, I've had to deal with the constant battle of overcrowding. Two of my four back molars are actually crowns because my wisdom teeth have literally broken my back molars into pieces. If I just pull the tooth, I have to get braces put back on because of shifting... so getting any teeth pulled for the rest of my life is 100% out of the question. 


Anyway, the abscess was located on tooth #17, which is of course, a crown. So doing a regular root canal wasn't an option. I seem to have found myself in a rather sticky situation. But I love the dentist, endodontist... whatever. We're buds - and if you're ever in Charleston and need to see a dentist, don't go anywhere else but Dr. Morrison on Rivers. He does wonders, his staff is AWESOME, and most importantly: he's a good, Christian man.

So, after a first round of Clindamycin, and a second round of Amoxicillin (both spanning over 2 weeks) combat with Percocets and Lortabs every 4 hours, my infection was gone and my tooth was ready for a root canal!! Finally!! Based on X-Rays from the first visit, we were unclear if the abscess was caused by my wisdom teeth finally saying they've had enough and they're ready to come out, or from the molar. Thank God it was the molar, and thank God it was a root canal. Never before have I been so excited about a root canal, knowing that removing the wisdom teeth was the alternative.


I walked in the endodontists office as chipper and positive as I normally am, so I was rewarded with the huge, private corner office covered in windows overlooking Ashley Phosphate morning traffic. Not trying to be conceited, but I'm a dentists dream patient. I had my own flat-screen TV and massage chair... I was practically falling asleep waiting for the doctor to come in.

First Novicane shot: done. 

He started working... and I felt it. I could go into descriptives here, but I'll save those with a weak stomach from the torture. If you want the details of what I felt, just let me know :)

Second Novicane shot: done.

I was feeling pretty good, and I actually dozed off here and there during the whole three hour process. And no: I didn't receive any type of anesthesia!! I drove myself back to work when it was all said and done.

I've battled with TMJ since middle school (for those new to the concept of TMJ or TMJD: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporomandibular_joint_disorder), and if it wasn't for the bite rest they gave me, it would have been a nightmare. I left there with a numb mouth and $1,000 poorer, but no more swollen face, and no more pain medication every 4 hours. I was under strict antibiotic orders, and I had rules of what I could and could not do with my root canal. I was also told to make an appointment with my dentist as soon as possible, so I could get a permanent crown to replace my temporary root canal.

So I called my dentist immediately after my root canal, and today at 1:30pm is the soonest that I could get in. But last Friday, all hell broke loose.

I was eating hibachi for lunch and I bit into something hard. Harder than my hibachi was supposed to be. My mind starts racing as I head to the bathroom. "Oh God, not again. If I just broke my root canal my dentist is going to kill me!!" I run to the mirror with my rudimentary dentist tools (a Mag-Lite and a paper clip) and take a look at the damage.

Awesome!! I just broke my molar in half!! Of course, this is the the last real molar I have left on my bottom jaw. I called my dentist right away and told them to add a broken #32 to Tuesday's to-do list. Here's what we're getting accomplished today:

1. Permanent crown on #32 (root canal).

2. Permanent crown on #17 (broken crown from Friday).

3. Filling / Crown (not sure yet) on #1 (another broken crown on the top).

4. Filling on #23 (ha ha... my mom just had the same one done last month).

5. Regular Exam to see what other damage needs to be handled.

6. Regular Cleaning.

7. XTreme Whitening. 

So wish me luck, people. I'll report back with the damage / good news :)