The health of your gums/teeth

[Miscer]

Hello you wonderful people of the interwebs.

Can ignored toothaches mess you up?

I had a toothache recently, ignored it for ages, but finally went to a dentist. There was a cavity, which the dentist removed--but perhaps not fully.

She said the decay looked quite deep and she tried to remove "as much of it as she could"--any further and she might hit the gum--and she put a filling in.

So she said give it 6 months and come back.

6 weeks later, the tooth is still pretty damn sensitive. Like, SHARP pain when I drink cold water.

6 months is too long to wait. Could this be making me ill? I've been feeling crappy lately, under the weather, groggy, not myself.

 

[LittleDicky]

In general, mouth bacteria from teeth and gums can contribute to heart and kidney disease, although I don't know the exact mechanism.

Specifically, a tooth abscess is an infection -- and infection is bad anywhere in the body -- and can travel. Since teeth are set in the jaw, there is always a danger of infection getting into the bone.

As for sensitivity, I am currently undergoing something similar. A tooth that was capped 1 year and a half ago never felt right. It was sensitive to pressure -- but not hot or cold.

I returned to the dentist. He determined that the tooth was CRACKED down to the root and doesn't think it will last if capped again. He plans an extraction and building me a bridge. Really looking forward to all that -- $$$$$.

Bottom line: Bad teeth are nothing to play around with. In your case, if the tooth hurts and you don't feel well, I'd go back to the dentist for evaluation. You may have something brewing. X-ray should tell the story (show an abscess).

(In my case, I was told the X-ray doesn't show a crack. And, I had no abscess.)

Good luck.

 

[B_Hickboy]

You deserve this.

 

[Miscer]

Cheers LittleDicky.

Yeah it's quite disturbing to think that an infection could spread.

My dentist was pretty nonchalant...still, that's not much consolation.

Gonna book an appointment with a different dentist tomorrow

 

[Redwyvre]

Sorry to hear about your toothache. Hope you can get it taken care of very soon. I went in yesterday to have a crown "installed". Have been putting it off for years. Haven't been comfortable going to a dentist ever since I went through a medieval-style, very little aesthesia, chisel and mallet sort of procedure to have my wisdom tooth removed. The dentist I went to this time was highly recommended by several friends. It wasn't too bad of an experience. Of course it took about 2 hours, I had to listen to the drill and pay $1,400.00.

 

[rbkwp]

I had to listen to the drill and pay $1,400.00.


ha, similar fees around the World re Dental work huh
Several friends have taken a Thailand trip, had medical / dental work done, for a 1/4 the cost,and never had a problem at all .. got a holiday as well .. guess folk are aware of this option, but choose not to take it up, fair enuf'

 

[eurotop40]

Hello you wonderful people of the interwebs.

Can ignored toothaches mess you up?

I had a toothache recently, ignored it for ages, but finally went to a dentist. There was a cavity, which the dentist removed--but perhaps not fully.

She said the decay looked quite deep and she tried to remove "as much of it as she could"--any further and she might hit the gum--and she put a filling in.

So she said give it 6 months and come back.

6 weeks later, the tooth is still pretty damn sensitive. Like, SHARP pain when I drink cold water.

6 months is too long to wait. Could this be making me ill? I've been feeling crappy lately, under the weather, groggy, not myself.

As a rule, you should go every year to the dentist for a check. If you go when you have pain it is generally too late. The money you spend will be paid pack - or better saved - if you do not need any treatment in your middle and older age. Prevention is the key: proper tooth brushing and flossing and use of fluorides. Not all countries implement this type of prevention. Switzerland for instance does and 20 y.o. boys and girls grown up here have no caries whatsoever.
Another strategy is to go to the hygienist every 6 months. Again, what you spend is saved on future disasters (obviously, many dentists do not like to hear this).

 

[SprinkleMe69]

Sounds like you have more than a cavity. I had that happen to me and had a root canal and a crown put on the tooth. But I had to get rid of the infection first. Always brush and floss. Everyday! :biggrin: or is it :icon16:

 

[EllieP]

Well, you probably didn't wear braces for two and a half years! My Mum would always scold me saying "you have two thousand dollars in that mouth of yours so take care of it." And I always listen to my Mum!

Cap, on the other hand, is a complete guy and just had almost two-thousand dollars of repair in his mouth including a couple of root canals and caps. Good show, Cap. But his teeth do look nice.

Wish mine were whiter but I'm scared to do anything.