Dentist visit

I saw the dentist this morning. I haven't been to a dentist since Oct 2003, and it was a while before then since I'd been seen. I decided it was time to go; actually, my teeth decided for me: I had a filling fall out, my bottom right crown has become "un-seated," and my bottom teeth are shifting to the left because my bottom left molar is missing. I know, I know! A tooth missing.

Here's the Reader's Digest version: Cavity. Cavity was filled. Cavity under the filling. Filling removed and cavity filled again. Nerve exposed when cavity was re-filled. Absesed tooth and me in excrusiating pain. Dentist saw me on a Sunday. Cut my gum in 3 spots and shoved cloves in the slits. Root canal. Root canal gone bad, which lead me to call my dentist incompetent. I then saw an Oral Surgeon for surgery to put a crown in (the first surgery in my life! I hadn't even had stitches!). Crown lasted 8 years (not bad). Crown fell out while we lived in SC. My "peg" of a tooth was too weak to replace crown. New SC dentist wanted to do a bridge (Partial dentures at age 27 - no way!) Had new SC dentist pull the "peg" which left me with a whole in my mouth (Oct 2003).

So, my newest dentist, Richard Leishman, was super nice and didn't make me feel awful about my teeth. My other crown (bottom right back molar) is loose allowing food to get under it. So, we're going to replace that crown at the same time we fill the spot where my filling fell out. We talked about an implant for my missing bottom left back molar. Insurance doesn't cover implants - "it's cosmetic" - so we're looking at 3 grand. $3,000 up front. Where am I going to get that money??? I can't wait to hear how Tony's dental appt goes on Thursday.