My husband and I both had dental pain. We don’t really have a dentist so we looked up dentists who treated emergency patients. We both went in with the same symptoms, but I ended up with a root canal treatment and crown, then my husband just received a crown. Why the different treatments?
Marcy
Dear Marcy,
My biggest concern here is not that one of you received the wrong treatment, but rather that your dentist didn’t seem to explain to either of you why you received the treatment you did. You should never receive a treatment without knowing why you are receiving it or if there are options.
Truthfully, different dental emergencies can have the same symptoms but require totally different treatments.
It could be your husband’s pain was from a cracked tooth. Even if he didn’t remember any trauma to his tooth, if he grinds his teeth, that often leads to cracked teeth. It also grinds them down to nubs where he may eventually need dental crowns on all his teeth. This is something to be avoided at all costs.
Have him checked for signs of teeth grinding even if the dentist didn’t mention it to him. There is a simple solution for this if he just wears a night guard while he sleeps. Most people grind their teeth at night without even realizing it. This will protect them.
A root canal treatment is needed if there is decay which reached the pulp and if there is an infection. This must have been your situation.
Avoiding Dental Care on an Emergency Basis
You mentioned you and your husband do not have a dentist. This will lead to you actually needing the dentist for more expensive procedures just going in when there is an emergency.
Dental Care is more affordable if you get preventative care. Getting your teeth cleaned and checked regularly saves you so much money. Even if you develop a cavity, a small filling costs a LOT less than a root canal treatment and dental crown. Or, even worse, costing you a tooth.
Affordability is just one reason people avoid the dentist. Dental anxiety is a huge one. If that is what has kept you from the dentist, I’m going to suggest you try dental sedation. It provides anxiety-free/pain-free appointments. It will change the way you look at your dental care.
Best of luck to both of you.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.