Friday, April 14, 2006

Teeth happenings

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I had my teeth prepped for crowns. #2 & #3 molars. I managed the drilling and such well enough, and then got the temporary crowns on. After the initial tenderness, I was expecting the sensitivity would go down, and then I'd be more or less careful with the temp while I waited for the crowns to be done & put in.

So that didn't happen that way. Apparently, #3 is very, VERY sensitive, and throughout the last couple of weeks, it was pretty much aching all the time. I alternated Tylenol, Ibuprofen & later on, Aleve to manage, but even so, it would wake me up at night and bother me most of the day.

Yesterday I went in for the permanent crowns. Normally, you don't need novacaine for this, but when she started pulling the temp off #3, I was jumping in the chair. So I got a shot for this. It was still iffy while they pulled off the temp, and then when they used that hose thing and suctioned, I jumped again, and they gave me yet more novacaine. Now I was okay.

The dentist said everything LOOKED good, even while I'm imagining a raw root dangling there, but he asked if I'd like a cement that would "soothe" the root (yes!!) although it might not last as long as the regular cement. So #2 has regular cement, and #3 has the one to soothe.

I had a blended margarita with dinner tonight, and it's still pretty dang sensitive. Hopefully over the next few days (weeks, months?) it will get better. If I'm stuck with a continual ache like the last few weeks - I guess I'll have to look into a root canal?

Connor, in the meantime, plucked a baby tooth out while he was riding the bus and never said a word to anyone about it. The next kid to use the seat on the short bus told the driver, "Hey! There's a tooth here!" so she wrapped it in a tissue and gave it to Connor's teacher. She figured out who it belonged to, and I supposed it will eventually get back to us at home. Connor's experience was preferable to mine, however he will be going to the dentist himself next week, and will need some kind of sedation. We're not sure yet of the level, but this dentist specializes in this stuff, having an autistic son himself. Hopefully Connor's dental experience will seem more like a dream than anything else. Not a nightmare.

:)

3 comments:

Rocky said...

I truely symphtisize with you and tooth pain. When I was in Navy boot camp, I remember that they filled 5 cavities, pulled all 4 of my wisdom teeth and did a partial root canal. In the same session. I'm still not remebering much of the 3 days after that however.

keeka said...

Hey, like I said, I had the exact same experience. I thought something was wrong and they did it badly or something. But I am doing much much better, I do use sensodyne toothpaste and I try not to swirl ice cold water in my mouth, but eating and drinking normally is fine. It did take about 2 weeks for me.

Tina said...

it's feeling better today, but I'm still taking the ibuprofen.

Now we just have to see how things go with Connor tomorrow...

:)