I was thinking about this question in the abstract 3 or 4 days ago, along the lines of what could go wrong now that would be really inconvenient. The things that came to mind were plumbing (water heater) and electrical (furnace, refrigerator, oven). Little did I think I would actually have an emergency situation of an even worse kind- dental emergency!!!!!!!
Yesterday I woke up with a searing toothache in my lower right first molar from the front. As the day went on it got worse. I called my regular dentist, who is a personal friend. He told me if it gets worse to call him this morning and he would see me first thing as he is only doing emergency appointments. Last night I could not even sleep the pain was so bad. It was next level pain I have never had before, with the tooth hurting without chewing pressure or hot or cold touches.
So I saw my regular dentist at 9:00 a.m. this morning. He took x rays and did a nerve pulse test on the tooth. He told me the root is dead and I will need a root canal, and if there is a fracture not seen on the x ray when the filling on the tooth is removed, the tooth will need to be extracted. He then told me he did not do root canals or extractions, but that a buddy of his in the next town over did. So he called the buddy root canal specialist, and it turns out that he is also doing emergency appointments and he can see me this afternoon. So I was able to get an emergency appointment this afternoon with the root canal specialist.
So I am now eating a late breakfast which may very well be the last meal experienced by this tooth, not that I am chewing anything on the right side of mouth, because I can't. If I even let a small gulp of hot coffee swish over to that side of the mouth, there will be a jolt of pain that will make me jump out of my chair.
So the rest of my day will be devoted to dreading getting a root canal or extraction, then experiencing it, and then going to the pharmacy to pick up the obligatory pain killers meds once the local anesthesia wears off. I suppose the only thing worse would be catching Covid-19 during these dental visits.
Yesterday I woke up with a searing toothache in my lower right first molar from the front. As the day went on it got worse. I called my regular dentist, who is a personal friend. He told me if it gets worse to call him this morning and he would see me first thing as he is only doing emergency appointments. Last night I could not even sleep the pain was so bad. It was next level pain I have never had before, with the tooth hurting without chewing pressure or hot or cold touches.
So I saw my regular dentist at 9:00 a.m. this morning. He took x rays and did a nerve pulse test on the tooth. He told me the root is dead and I will need a root canal, and if there is a fracture not seen on the x ray when the filling on the tooth is removed, the tooth will need to be extracted. He then told me he did not do root canals or extractions, but that a buddy of his in the next town over did. So he called the buddy root canal specialist, and it turns out that he is also doing emergency appointments and he can see me this afternoon. So I was able to get an emergency appointment this afternoon with the root canal specialist.
So I am now eating a late breakfast which may very well be the last meal experienced by this tooth, not that I am chewing anything on the right side of mouth, because I can't. If I even let a small gulp of hot coffee swish over to that side of the mouth, there will be a jolt of pain that will make me jump out of my chair.
So the rest of my day will be devoted to dreading getting a root canal or extraction, then experiencing it, and then going to the pharmacy to pick up the obligatory pain killers meds once the local anesthesia wears off. I suppose the only thing worse would be catching Covid-19 during these dental visits.
