The Life of a Tooth

Six years ago, I had a cavity filled. The tooth is on the bottom right side of my mouth. The dentist told me that the decay went rather close to the nerve. Later, upon looking at an x-ray, he told me that my tooth probably needed a crown. I ignored his advice. My tooth didn't hurt so why should I shell out $400 for a crown?

Three years ago something chipped off that lovely tooth. I think part of my filling came off. My dentist (who, believe me, is no longer my dentist) glanced at it for a micro second and told me it would be fine. I believed him and continued to floss entire meals out of the chip in my tooth. The decay had a heyday.

Two years ago a different dentist drilled out the remains of the filling and refilled my tooth. He told me the decay went rather close to the nerve and I probably needed a crown. Again, $400? Nah, I'd wait until it started to hurt.

Two weeks ago, the best dentist I've ever had, Dr. Anderson, prepped my tooth for the crown I'd been putting off for 6 years. The tooth still didn't hurt, but my dentist is moving, so I thought I'd get this over with. I guess for a crown, you shave off the outside of the tooth so the crown will fit. Well, Dr. Anderson found decay under my old filling. He began drilling. I heard "Biff, this tooth is a mess," a couple times. Some time later, the temporary crown was put on and my appointment was made for my permanent crown.

Today is that appointment. Since the temporary crown was put on, I have been in PAIN! I have taken more ibuprofen in the past two weeks than I have in the past eight years. And yes, I am counting what I took after I had babies. I take four pills and can feel my tooth the second they wear off. I ate dinner with my dentist on Sunday. Dr. Anderson, who also happens to be my brother-in-law Paul, asked me about my pain. I told him how it starts going through my jaw and then travels to the back of my head and so I have a headache set in along with the toothache. And Paul looked at me and said, "Root canal. You've got to have one or you'll have to have one later and have your new crown get drilled."

He's right. It just took two weeks of pain to convince me that this tooth is a mess.

So here I am, at the computer Tuesday morning, synching my ipod with some podcasts to occupy my mind while I'm in the dentist's chair for 90+ minutes today. Apparently tooth roots have canals that have to be dealt with. It makes my stomach turn to think of it. Wish me luck.