I am a dental phobic. If you gave me a choice between shooting myself in the leg, and being in that chair, I’d have to think about it for a minute. But now I’ve gotten myself in deep.
I waited way too long to get my wisdom teeth removed. I just had it done last November, and only then because I had to, or I faced losing more teeth if I didn’t get it done, since they were starting to decay the teeth they were impacting.
Well, the time as come to pay the piper for that, both in money terms and in chair time terms. In order to repair the tooth my now absent wisdom tooth had impacted, I need to have a crown lengthening done, then a root canal, and then have a crown fitted. All in all, I expect my out of pocket cost will be a small fortune. Given that I use my teeth all the time, I don’t think I have much choice.
So how painful is the aftermath of this crown lengthening crap, for any of you who have ever had one? It is like having tooth filled? Or are we talking about having to get more happy drugs like I did for the wisdom teeth? Root canal doesn’t scare me too much. Been there, done that. But any unknown dental procedure invariably makes me lose sleep.
Never been there myself… I just remember them giving me really good drugs when I had my wisdom teeth out. Of course, I couldn’t eat anything other than ramen noodles for about 2 weeks, but since I was in college at the time, that’s all I ate anyway.
My father-in-law had a similar procedure done tho, and he’s never complained. And he feels the same way about the dentist as you do.
I’ve never had the crown procedures done, but I’ve heard from several people that it’s not nearly as bad as a root canal…it’s pretty much like filling a cavity. Your face is numb for a while, and when it’s all over and the feeling comes back, you pretty much have a new tooth. Minimal aching.
I didn’t get drugs when I got my wisdom teeth taken out, and I still don’t know why. I got an IV during the procedure, but nothing to take home with me. And I popped all of my stitches playing the French horn within the first week of being home. Either I have a crazy pain tolerance, or I’m actually retarded and it hasn’t been discovered yet.
I hate the dentist, too, but this might make you feel better (or worse): Dentists have the highest suicide rate of any other profession, because so many people hate them, and all they want to do is help your poor widdle teefs be healthy. When I learned that, I started at least trying to be nice to my dentist. :-P
Oh Ick that doesn’t sound like fun at all. :(
I do know that my dentist is magical and thus it wouldn’t hurt that much if he did it *grins* I don’t know what you dentist is like and it’s a really far drive for you to come to mine *grins* (Heck, it’s a far drive from me from most people POV)
Been there, done that. No was offering T-shirts.
Yes it was expensive, about $700 (4-5 yrs ago). On the pain/discomfort scale, I’d rather do the the crown lengthening than another root canal.
He did a small incision the gum, then cut away the bone & sewed it back up. Total time in the chair was probably only 15-30 mins.
Good luck!
Danno
When I had my wisdom teeth pulled, I felt no pain and thus had no need of the prescribed pain medication.
Not sure what crown lengthening is, but I have 5 crowns that were glued in after the corresponding root canal. Pain is worse than a normal filling, mainly because for the duration of the procedure your dentist is doing his damnedest to fit both his hands, one foot, one of his assistants hands, every tool in his office and a few items from the local auto body shop into your mouth at the same time.
I never had pain associated with the root canal or the crown, the discomfort always stemmed from having my jaw, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, hyperextended for the better part of 3 hours. It’s not a shooting pain, it’s more like discomfort. Kind of like what your body feels like after an intense workout after having not worked out for several month.
In my youth I once took a right cross to the jaw and as a result, my jaw hurt for a couple of days. The root canal/crown procedure was worse, but not all that much and maybe only a day or two longer.
YMMV.
dc
“I hate the dentist, too, but this might make you feel better (or worse): Dentists have the highest suicide rate of any other profession, because so many people hate them, and all they want to do is help your poor widdle teefs be healthy. When I learned that, I started at least trying to be nice to my dentist. :-P”
Nah, we could care less if you hate us, as long as you pay your bill;) (I’m a dental student). The title for highest suicide rate actually goes to psychologists. Dentists’ suicide rate is comparable to other similar professions (medicine, law, etc.).
About crown lengthening, like other people have said, it shouldn’t hurt as bad as the root canal. Without getting too technical/boring, a crown lengthening is done when there isn’t enough tooth structure to attach the crown to the tooth. The gums, and possibly some bone, are cut back to expose enough tooth to attach the crown.
I know of an 8-year-old girl who had it done on her incisors. She didn’t feel anything during the procedure and didn’t have any significant pain afterwards.
Thanks Nick! I go Monday… and that certainly eases my mind a bit.
For the record, I don’t hate dentists. Actually, my dentist is a pretty young and cute eastern european woman. I don’t mind her at all! I just hate being in that chair, and dread having to go.
I am sitting here 9 days after my second bout of crown lengthening. I had my top teeth done approx 3 months ago and it was not too bad. The most painful thing is the gums healing back into place. I had a significant amount of cutting as I had my total top gum done. It took approx 2 weeks for the pain to be totally gone. Had the temps fitted at the 3 week mark and wore them for 3 weeks. Permanent vaneers then were fitten and I love them! The bottom jaw has been a different story all together. Again, I had the total gum cut back and it has been a nightmare! Healing refuses to take and I have attended my surgeon 5 times in 9 days to have the gums restitched back into place. The pain level has been what I would clasify as severe. Child birth doesn’t have a patch on this kinda pain. If I had known …I may not have undertaken the bottom crown lengthening…..period. Don’t mean to scare you ….but this is an accurate account of my experience.