Any dentists here?

[lendaddy]

I had a root canal maybe 4 years ago. It got loose once and had it recemented. Now the whole tooth (or what was left of it) cracked off fairly clean right at the gumline. Little to none of the tooth is above the gums. My dentist now wants to do the jaw stud thing Worse yet we're talking 3.5 Liter pistons and cylinders, uh I mean $3,600 for the work! Sweet monkey nuts! Do I have any other options? That sucker may just rot in my head for that kinda dough Just kidding, but barely.

[lendaddy]

Just to add it is on the bottom, third tooth from the back.

[VaSteve]

I'm sorry. That's sucks. Dental things are the worst for me, absolute total tension. Sorry I'm not a dentist either...I just wanted to use that gif.

[lendaddy]

lol. Actually you cannot see it unless I fishhook myself

[lendaddy]

I use to be scared of the dentist, but I have spent a fortune on my mouth over the last 4 years. Much of it cosmetic, I'm so vain. Well it was actually a combination of cosmetic/don't want to deal with it anymore. Not so bad really, and the root canal was essentially painless.

[RickM]

Your option is a bridge which will require grinding down the two neighboring teeth. An implant is your best bet.

Ask your dentist to submit as a crown and cross your fingers

[Evans, Marv]

How about just having them pull the root out. One empty spot shouldn't be too bad.

[lendaddy]

Submit to whom Flying lone wolf here. My evil employer (me) doesn't do dental Out of my pocket in the last 4 years, maybe 8 large. Ouch...................................

[RickM]

Oh yeah...that's right.

Well even for those with insurance it's most likely not covered. IMO it is the best technique to fill the gap. Hint around, with your dentist, for a discount. Although a large part of the cost is for the appliance he/she may discount the infliction of pain.

[lendaddy]

Thanks Rick, sounds like I'm screwed

[RickM]

To Marv's point, you'll get used to the gap very easily.

However, the onus of chewing will be offloaded to the other side and stress will not be evenly distributed. Longterm this may exacerbate existing problems.

Get 'er pulled and live with it for a while. No big hurry.

[lendaddy]

They don't exactly pull it when they are cracked off this low right? I would assume it's more of a jackhammer & suction deal. Good times, good times. Just out of curiosity, why not just seal the new "top" of the tooth and let her eat if you will?

[speeder]

Lendaddy, In the words of the great Bill Clinton, "I feel your pain".

I am on the verge of selling my 911 to pay for several thousand dollars worth of neglected dental work, among other bills and expenses. The Bush economic miracle hasn't made it this far west yet, so that's the way it looks.

Leaving an empty hole in a molar location is not a good idea from what I've been told, the opposing tooth w/ nothing to bite against will start to come out like a pulled headstud on a 2.7, then you will need two new ones. Dental implants are the best restoration going, (is this what he's talking about?), last forever, etc., but mucho dinero. Several thou each. Ouch.

The "horsepower dollar" or motorcycle/ski trip/hookers in Vegas to tooth ratio is not lost on me either, it SUCKS!

I was talking to an aquaintence last night who got some pretty high-quality dental work done South of the border for pennys on the dollar, I will be looking into it and will let you guys know. If the work really is up to par, it's Ole' time for a lot of us!

[araine901]

I had a similar situation. I wanted to go the implant route but I was not a good candidate. It was an upper molar which had roots protruding into my sinus cavity. In fact when they extracted (This is gross beware) I had a hole between the two and could pull air in or our until it grew shut. In order to go with the implant it would require bone grafting so that borught the estimate to about 7K. So I did the bridge route for about 2500. Being self employed has its disadvantages. But the good news is the bush economic miracle has made it to AZ. LOL

[campbellcj]

Yikes...I too just had a "dental malfunction". One of the lower molars had a hairline crack which was getting pretty painful and about to fragment completely; it had several 20yr old fillings holding it together. Ca-ching...$900 for a crown (w/ xrays and cleaning)....we dropped dental coverage years ago when the insurance companies stopped using lube for their annual reamings. I am on the verge of cutting medical coverage somewhat to save some money, and using some of the savings to pick up the dental again.

[genrex]

[QUOTE] They don't exactly pull it when they are cracked off this low right? I would assume it's more of a jackhammer & suction deal. Good times, good times..

I had the same thing happen to an upper tooth, third from the back. My dentist suggested that I go to a specialist (dentist) who uses general anesthesia in his office. Outpatient procedure. It was all over in an hour, and it was totally pain-free. They don't let you drive home afterward, because you're groggy. Just one follow-up visit a couple of weeks later with the specialist, and that was it.

The stitches were the self-dissolving kind. The total cost was under $400. This gave me time to save $ for a bridge, but I probably should have chosen an implant.. oh well.

[RickM]

Originally posted by lendaddy
They don't exactly pull it when they are cracked off this low right? I would assume it's more of a jackhammer & suction deal. Good times, good times. Just out of curiosity, why not just seal the new "top" of the tooth and let her eat if you will?

While a General Dentist may be able to extract the root with forceps or other tools/techniques, they will typically refer you to an Oral Surgeon who is better equipped to deal with the more complex situations (surgery, bone/gum work) and potential complications (nerve damage etc).

It could be possible to have a "Post and Core" done where a SS post(s) is bonded or screwed into the existing tooth remnant and composite material is used to build-up a foundation which will accept a crown. Again, many variables such as tooth condition, break location (critical in your case), gum health, underlying bone condition will affect etc. Also, techniques, tools and materials vary widely.

Finally, leaving a root in place serves no purpose and may expose you to possible infection and related complications in the future.

BTW, I am not a dentist. I just ask my wife and friends in the Dental/Medical field lots of questions.