Tooth Decayed into the Pulp

The tooth that has been bothering me for years, off and on, but most recently, very badly, is decayed into the pulp. I had an X-ray taken two days ago. The dentist says I need a root canal, and is referring me to whomever the Oregon Health Plan works with to do such procedures. But I'm scared, to be honest. Here is why.

I have a friend who has a friend who is a new dentist, who has told him tales. This young dentist filled in for various dentists at first, when they were on vacation. He was horrified at the extremely shoddy work done, and lies told about the work done, to people of low income brackets and especially those on the Oregon Health Plan.

Another young dentist described the practise he now works for, a tooth mill, owned by a dentist who took on over 10,000 Oregon Health Plan patients, basically he said to get the monthly stipend for having them as patients because there is no way in hell one dentist can do work for 10,000 people.

Root canals are tricky and can lead to chronic infection if not done correctly. I have crappy insurance. So I am leaning towards having the tooth pulled instead.

It has been exceedingly painful for months now. I have sometimes pulled out a pair of pliers and considered pulling it myself. I can't chew on that side. The nerves are inflamed all over that side of my face and into my ear. I have to get this resolved and I don't want to have my health ruined permanently by a shoddy speedo root canal done by a dentist who does third rate procedures to people with bad insurance.

I'm supposed to hear back from the Oregon Health Plan in a couple of weeks I guess. I tried to call them, but the person who answered the phone told me she has no idea when the referral will be processed or where I would be sent or even if it would be approved. The dentist office said I would be called by ODS, the HMO under the OR Health Plan that does this, but this woman said I would not be called, that the office I get referred to will call me. Huh?

It's like the patient is just totally out of the loop anymore. You're supposed to not question, not even ask who the hell is going to be doing a delicate procedure on your mouth, or if you'll be approved for it even and if not, what then? The desk phone answering woman acted like I was a real problem just for asking. And in the meantime, you have to deal with a firey painful jaw, face, ear and mouth.

This is why the whiskey and pliars approach seems attractive by comparison.

Sometimes ignorance is indeed bliss. Such practises may not be widespread.

I have a possible solution in mind for maintaining the space---an athletic mouthguard could be modified with a strut, to wear at night, I believe, to help maintain space between the premolar and last molar, if that tooth is pulled.

I guess after hearing so many stories from young dentists, shocked by what goes on, that I'm scared to death to have anything done by somebody whom I don't know personally.

Well, I read on the web (and everything is true on the web, right?) that getting a root canal without protecting the dry dead tooth with a crown, is a waste of money, that the tooth is likely to become brittle and crack or split in two. So if I don't get a crown, may as well have it pulled.

Cheaper, too, except these web pages I read, scare you, and say your other teeth will then start shifting around and screw up everything. Bottom line, seems there is no simple solution, once a tooth has gone bad.

I never had any cavities until I was in my late twenties. By then I'd been on psyche drugs that would dry your mouth out worse than meth. Elavil was probably the worst. I couldn't swallow without drinking water to do it. My lips would stick to my teeth and my tongue to the roof of my mouth. It was hard to even talk. Lithium was bad too. Psyche drugs will kill you.

Meth mouth? Try psyche drug mouth. Psyche drugs, forced on me, for decades, dried my mouth out probably worse than or as bad as meth would have. The side effects of psyche drugs include tooth decay and loss, due to dry mouth and lack of circulation and saliva to the gums and teeth. So anyhow, my dental problems then began in earnest. However, medicaid did not cover dental visits at that time, even when dental problems were the result of forced psyche drug side affects. What a wonderful world psychiatry creates for its victims.

Well, anyhow. I have been referred to a Salem dentist for the root canal, if I decide to have it and not get the tooth pulled, since it will not be crowned afterwards.

Anybody out there had a root canal without a crown and if so, how'd that work out?