I broke my tooth

Eating dried cherries, a big piece of my back tooth broke off I guess one had a bit of a pit in it.
Last fall the dentist filled that tooth and told me I needed a crown and better do it soon. He said if it broke, I would be in big trouble. I did not ask for details then, so I don't know what that means even. I tried to save for the crown, but I have had trouble with the bills, let alone saving. I have an appointment for tomorrow, so I won't even know what has to be done until then. I went and got temporary filling stuff, but it is the back of my back tooth and not staying on well.
I am already stressed with my daughter's college bill being $4000 higher than I expected. I am also feeding 7 people now and it was just my hubby and I until last month. The bill for college is due Mon and I am still deciding what to do on that. Tomorrow is my hubby's birthday and Friday I will be 50, but I don't feel much like celebrating now

Ugh ... I'm so sorry!

I need some dental work done too, and w/ my dental insurance, it'll still cost me $950 to do it, and I've got to do it soon b/c it'll end up being a root canal.

Is there a dental school close to you? They always do things cheaper.

No dental school here. I am in a very rural area of the Ozarks.

honey

Hopefully they can still just crown the tooth. Otherwise, they'll have to pull it, which means an implant or a bridge.

Some dental offices are much less expensive than others though, so I would suggest calling around once you know the treatment plan. Most also have some type of payment plan they can assist you with.

Hope you feel better!

So sorry Honey!!! I hope everything works out really well for you!

Honey, I have had the same thing happen and know how... upsetting? Mortifying! it is. Do not panic. For tonight, see if you can get some dental wax. This is the stuff young kids put on their braces to make them more comfortable. It works with broken teeth, too. You can find it at wal-mart in the dental aisle, and most drug stores have it too.

For the money, don't start panicing about the cost yet. If it needs to be pulled, you will need to pay to have it pulled, but as for the rest, you have some time to shop around. I had mine pulled over a year ago and have been saving for the implant. I now have enough to pay for it, and my dentist has been keeping an eye on my other teeth to make sure they aren't moving because of the gap. If yours is in the back, you can take a little time to save up the money. If they are not going to pull and you need to pay for a root canal now, pay for that BEFORE you pay for your daughter's tuition. She can get a low interest student loan, a grant, or a scholarship. None of those are available to pay for your dental work. If she gets there and doesn't have the money, she can go right down to the financial aid office and fill out assistance applications. She should still be able to go. But you need to take care of your own needs first.

Bad news Honey. Hope its easier to fix than expected.

I am so sorry honey. I had my 2 back top teeth on both sides pulled years ago ( one was a wisdom tooth, the other a molar on each side) I dont know where yours is, but honestly, I have never missed them. And you cant see that they are missing. I swear.

After I got one side pulled it felt SOOO good, I went back 2 weeks later (as soon as I could find a dentist in our huricanne raviged area with electric) and had the other 2 pulled. They couldnt belive I wanted 2 pulled at one time! and My health actually improved!

But I know what its like to just break a tooth. My first one broke eating fried eggs one morning.

Consider getting it pulled. if its feasable.

I'm sorry Honey! That sucks, I know how painful the finacial end is too. Good luck and happy early birthday!

Oh no, not more dental problems on the board! Hope it doesn't cause too much discomfort and you can get it fixed soon!

Goodness.... i feel for you. I have a wisdom tooth that NEEDS to be pulled, but I don't have the insurance to get it done.

Def take care of yourself because being in pain and not taking care of what needs to be done can lead to something more serious and more costly. I wish you luck!

I went to the dentist yesterday and the news was not as bad as I expected. He said the nerve has not died and I can still get it crowned, despite how big the piece is that came off. I am getting two crowns because the one next to it needs it also. I figure if I am going in debt for one, might as well get the other one too and spare myself the pain of two separate crowns. My area is not so bad on prices, but it will still be about $1500 for the two crowns, one gold, one porcelain. I have to go back in about two weeks and until then I have to keep this whole area really clean and toughen it up behind my tooth. I do have my floss handle that Karen reccomended to me and that makes it easy to get back there. Lots of other crap happened yesterday too, but today I am just acting like nothing is wrong in my life and just going to be happy about turning 50

Then I will pretend with you. Happy birthday. And I'm glad the flosser is helping. Those things are the bomb!

Oh I'm glad you are able to save the teeth! It's a pain without back ones, I am wishing like hell now that I had had the money to have saved mine, a denture is NOT the same.

good news Honey... hang in there...