As you all know, yesterday was my appointment with the butcher..I mean..dentist. I was going because one my fillings has fallen out (in my very last molar, on the left - #17 in photo), and left me with a sore tooth (or should I say side of the face when it's in full swing). It's not very nice. Infact, it's very unnice. So I go. Five thirty took forever to get here, and by the time I was sitting in the dentists office, I was pretty much crapping my pants, and feeling fainty.I get asked to fill out a new patient form, but of course I'm shaking like hell, and everything I write is hardly legible. It kind of looks like those wiggly pens you used to be able to get. They were cool, back in the day, though I don't think the receptionist was please with my handwriting..
Anyway, I fill out the form, and shortly after get called in. The room itself was pretty nice, they have a flat screen TV on the ceiling that's showing like a fish tank DVD (like the fire one), so when you lie back in the chair, you get to watch the fishes. I thought that was a nice touch, and it distracted me a bit while I was waiting for the prods, stabs and good old fashion torture.
Turns out though, the only torture I received at the dentist was an x-ray (not the x-ray itself, but the stupid piece they put in your mouth).
Why is this the only torture? Well, because I need either a root canal or an extraction.
That's right, my tooth is completely munted. Yay. Great. Fun times.
Something I thought would be a simple task (e.g. a new filling) that would cost enough, but not an extreme amount of money, has now turned into a fairly serious decision that involves not only large sums of money, but serious consequences with both choices.
A root canal will cost me, in total, $915NZD, money which I don't really have, especially for something that's not even a guarantee that my tooth will be better afterward.
An extraction will cost me $265 (that's with the sedation), money I'd rather not have to spend, but is certainly a lot cheaper than the root canal. Altho, it does mean losing a tooth.
The idea of losing a tooth isn't very appealing, but the idea of fixing a tooth, then it crapping out, having to fix it again or having to eventually extract it, is even less appealing.
Of course the first thing I did when I got home was look on the internetz, hoping to find some information so I can base my decision on at least some form of education, but you know what it does instead? It just fucken confuses me even more! "Get the extraction, a root canal is just a money making scheme" - "Get the root canal, your teeth might drift or your face will get deformed (wtf?)" - "Get the extraction, a root canal isn't a guarantee, it actually weakens the tooth" - "Get the root canal, it's better to keep all your teeth if you have the option"
And now my brain is custard.
So my question to all you fellow bloggers, what would you do? Try to keep the tooth, or give up on it? If it was one of my fronts, I would definitely go root canal, but since it's the back one, that you don't see, and is a fucken bitch anyway (stupid fucken food catching motherfucker) I'm less inclined to lean toward the root canal (esp if it needs extra care, and will probably cost me more eventually)
Baaaaaaaaaaaaah. Help. Please.