Help! Half my tooth has fallen out.

[Spinynorman]

Just eating a piece of toast and half of my tooth has fallen out. It's the big one at the back at the top.

I'm booked in for an emergency appointment but not until Thursday morning.

I'm frightened to eat, drink, breath or move.

Any advice? (Please post in lower case and no bold or italics)

[unc.si.]

don’t eat pork scratchings

[sportsmeister]

or toffees - they've left a particularly destructuve trail in my mouth

[Spinynorman]

Because of the effects of cold air on my tooth it helps to keep my mouth closed. Mrs Spiny is keen to know when this might be happening to more of my teeth.

[Surprised]

You will need a tooth extraction which, if you have lost the top half of it could be pain beyond anything you have ever suffered or imagined.
That said I had the same and quite enjoyed the extraction and suffered no pain apart from a slight pulling sensataion when he ripped the nerves out.

[bloggie]

On my latest tooth episode I rubbed Voltarol on my face cheek. If there's no abscess or acute nerve pressure you may not need to do this. At risk of stating the obvious the injection they give removes any pain of tooth extraction.

[bspittles]

Last time I had a tooth removed, the dentist fractured my jaw. I'm sure that won't happen to you...

[Zimmerman]

On my latest tooth episode I rubbed Voltarol on my face cheek. If there's no abscess or acute nerve pressure you may not need to do this. At risk of stating the obvious the injection they give removes any pain of tooth extraction.

Love the fact you make sure he knows it’s his upper cheeks (and presumably not his bottom cheeks)

[bloggie]

On my latest tooth episode I rubbed Voltarol on my face cheek. If there's no abscess or acute nerve pressure you may not need to do this. At risk of stating the obvious the injection they give removes any pain of tooth extraction.

Love the fact you make sure he knows it’s his upper cheeks (and presumably not his bottom cheeks)

The idea was to avert the inevitable Fiso joke reply.

[unc.si.]

On my latest tooth episode I rubbed Voltarol on my face cheek. If there's no abscess or acute nerve pressure you may not need to do this. At risk of stating the obvious the injection they give removes any pain of tooth extraction.

Voltarol?? Thats the bald guy in Harry Potter right?

[Oxford NZ]

I broke a lower rear molar this month, the most painful part of this was the dentists bill.
Initial consultation $120.00
Pain alleviation and first treatment towards root canal $700.00
Root canal $3000.00 tbc
Crown $6000.00 tbc
The average salary in NZ is about $50k so about 20% of a salary for one tooth.
So far I have paid for the first two visits.
The next will be for an extraction ( estimate $500.00 ) and I will put up with the gap and chew my food on the other side.

[Spinynorman]

I also get pain if I allow air to enter my wallet.

[SamD]

Check whether tooth can be rebuilt (easier if split is horizontal rather than vertical). This may be most practical option in long run. If possible, take displaced fragment when you visit dentist.

Good luck!

[Tacalabala]

I broke a lower rear molar this month, the most painful part of this was the dentists bill.
Initial consultation $120.00
Pain alleviation and first treatment towards root canal $700.00
Root canal $3000.00 tbc
Crown $6000.00 tbc
The average salary in NZ is about $50k so about 20% of a salary for one tooth.
So far I have paid for the first two visits.
The next will be for an extraction ( estimate $500.00 ) and I will put up with the gap and chew my food on the other side.

Don't most people there have health insurance?

Spiny, ice cream might be your friend. Reading these horror stories won't help though!

[Spinynorman]

I'm not good with the dentist at the best of times.

I would much rather have minor surgery, a camera up me bum (which I have had but it wasn't an SLR) or even watch Birmingham City play.

[Tacalabala]

That's a disgusting thought. Anyway, I'm sure they'll lubricate before they stick it up there....

[Oxford NZ]

Don't most people there have health insurance?

Yes we have medical insurance. It is very expensive (when you get to my age) and dental insurance is an extra. Standard trip to the dentist is $150.00 and a filling repair $200.00 so it is affordable. Until last week I did not know how expensive a root canal and crown would be so insurance did not seem worth while.

[Dennisthemenace]

The key thing is to keep the infection away, you don't want one of those abscess thingies. You'll pray for death if you do.

My advice is to go and buy a bottle of whisky and swill a glass or three around your teeth each day. This will keep the infection away and if it doesn't, well, you'll feel merry enough not to care too much.

Don't do it in the hour before you go to the dentist.

[blahblah]

Last time I had a tooth removed, the dentist fractured my jaw. I'm sure that won't happen to you...

Hmmm, I'm worried about Friday's check up now

[Vid]

You'll have an exposed nerve, unpleasant, I had many problems years ago due to my like of Lucozade (Lemon and Lime), took the enamel off most of my teeth and caused significant pain until I eventually had the lot removed. For me I found sucking ice/ very cold water helped numb the pain, did pee a lot as a result though

[blahblah]

I'm not good with the dentist at the best of times.

I would much rather have minor surgery, a camera up me bum (which I have had but it wasn't an SLR) or even watch Birmingham City play.

Ditto....

Had camera down throat, and tbh I'd guess up ass isn't as bad - on the plus side, you could watch them lose

[thebillfella]

Just had part of my tooth fracture off the interface with an old filling. Fortunately the filling still forming a barrier to the root so no pain, but too much of a hole for a standard filling. May need the old one drilling out, root canal and cap. Fortunately with an NHS dentist so won't cost an arm and a leg I hope...

[Spinynorman]

Just had part of my tooth fracture off the interface with an old filling. Fortunately the filling still forming a barrier to the root so no pain, but too much of a hole for a standard filling. May need the old one drilling out, root canal and cap. Fortunately with an NHS dentist so won't cost an arm and a leg I hope...

I feel your (non) pain.

[Striker]

Check whether tooth can be rebuilt (easier if split is horizontal rather than vertical). This may be most practical option in long run. If possible, take displaced fragment when you visit dentist.

Good luck!

Until I read this post I was wondering if I was living in a parallel universe as this is the most likely solution. Although an extraction may be necessary, that will only be the minority of cases, usually where the split goes well below the gum line. Typically private dentists will charge £300+ for a crown and £400 for root canal treatment if that is necessary. But often a crown won't need the latter.

Dunno about NHS, but around here all the better dentists are private only these days. This has happened gradually over the last 20 years.

[Striker]

Don't most people there have health insurance?

Yes we have medical insurance. It is very expensive (when you get to my age) and dental insurance is an extra. Standard trip to the dentist is $150.00 and a filling repair $200.00 so it is affordable. Until last week I did not know how expensive a root canal and crown would be so insurance did not seem worth while.

By comparison with NZ, UK dental charges are reasonable. I pay around £37 for a check up and around £75 for a filling. My daughter who lives in Australia tends to go to our local dentist when over here. She's only once needed a treatment here, and was initially hesitant when quoted several hundred pounds until she googled the cost back home in Australia, at which point she accepted the UK quote with alacrity.

[Oxford NZ]

By comparison with NZ, UK dental charges are reasonable.

I agree with you the UK is by far the cheapest country for good dentistry.
I went for a check up with a UK dentist when we were holidaying in September 2017 before heading home to NZ just because it is cheaper.
Oz is cheaper than NZ due to the population and more dentists being trained over there. Most of our practitioners are coming in to set up practices because of our supply and demand imbalance.

AND

back on topic to Spiny - Hows the tooth and your prognosis?

[Oxford NZ]

My advice is to go and buy a bottle of whisky and swill a glass or three around your teeth each day. This will keep the infection away and if it doesn't, well, you'll feel merry enough not to care too much.

Have you visited the "currently playing, currently drinking " thread ?

[Spinynorman]

Due at the dentist in 2 hours time. I'm hoping they will take the tooth straight out but I'm not hopeful.

I would prefer a general anaesthetic to include the treatment and the journey there but that would be silly wouldn't it.

[blahblah]

Due at the dentist in 2 hours time. I'm hoping they will take the tooth straight out but I'm not hopeful.

I would prefer a general anaesthetic to include the treatment and the journey there but that would be silly wouldn't it.

Not at all....

Still alive?

[unc.si.]

He probably just can't talk