Seven Appointments and Over $1,000 Later...

... and Dental Drama 2010 is now over.

The new toof, second from the back

Here's a recap of the fun:

Appt #1 (Check-up): Jean, excited to have dental insurance again, schedules a cleaning/exam at the dentist's office. Jean has a fine experience, until Dentist tells her that there's a dark spot on #3 that may require a filling or possibly a root canal. Jean prays for a filling. Nitrous oxide during visit = no. Pain level afterwards = 0.

Appt #2 (Attempted filling): Jean goes in for the filling, and during the procedure, Dentist tells her that yes, it is internal resorption, and yes, she will need a root canal. Nitrous oxide during visit = no. Pain level afterwards = 2 (ibuprofen).

Appt #3 (Attempted root canal): Jean goes in for the root canal, and during the procedure, Dentist tells her that yes, it is worse than he originally thought, and that she will need to have the root canal done by a specialist, and may even need an extraction. Jean prays for a root canal. Nitrous oxide during visit = yes. Pain level afterwards = 6 (hydrocodone).

Appt #4 (Actual root canal): Jean goes in for the root canal again, this time with Endodontist. Endodontist uses lots of high-tech equipment and manages to complete the root canal and (hopefully) save the tooth. Jean cries and whimpers during a particularly painful part, but in the end, Jean is relieved. Nitrous oxide during visit = no (why didn't I get nitrous again...?). Pain level afterwards = 1 (ibuprofen).

Appt #5 (Post & core + attempted crown): Jean goes back to Dentist for the post & core (where he inserts a metal core into the devitalized tooth to provide structural stability). Then, unbeknownst to her, he "reduces" the tooth so that the crown can fit on top of it (she smells burnt tooth smoke and hears him sawing it away). Jean uses the restroom mid-appointment, sees the pathetic tooth stump that remains, and is severely traumatized for the rest of the day. (I thought we were saving the tooth; I didn't realize that we were really only saving the foundation.) Dentist fabricates the crown and prepares to attach it until he notices a tiny crack in it. Dentist gives Jean a temporary crown instead and tells her to come back next week for the permanent. Nitrous oxide during procedure = yes. Pain level afterwards = 1 (ibuprofen).

Appt #6 (Possible temporary crown reattachment): Jean comes back to see Dentist the very next day, after her temporary crown popped off when she flossed her teeth. Tooth stump was exposed once again, and Jean was instructed to return to have the crown reattached. Instead, they calibrate the new permanent crown that they made, and re-schedule her appointment for two days later. Jean tells them that if it's just an aesthetic issue, she can do without the temporary crown (after all, the tooth is pretty far back). Nitrous oxide during procedure = no (Weston was there, heh heh). Pain level afterwards = 0.

Appt #7 (Permanent crown attachment): Jean comes back to see Dentist for her permanent crown, which is bonded to the stumpy tooth securely and comfortably. Jean is still slightly traumatized about the sawed tooth, but is generally very pleased that the crown appears seamless and feels perfect. She leaves with a big smile (and acknowledges that her six-month check-up will come much too soon). Nitrous oxide during procedure = no. Pain level afterwards = 0. :-) Sigh.