My hopes of starting 2016 off with no major dental work were dashed about 5 weeks ago when I was eating a Ritz cracker. I had bit down on something hard and crumbly and it didn’t taste like a Ritz cracker whatsoever.
It was the back tooth {part of it anyway} in the lower left part of my mouth. So. Going into yesterday’s dental cleaning I knew I’d be making an appointment to get a shiny new crown in January and would likely be maxing out my dental benefits at the start of the new year.
But, as luck would have it, when my super sweet dental hygienist was about 95% done cleaning my teeth, I heard a very muffled “Oh….. Hold Still…. Don’t swallow.”
Then she got her little suction tool out and went hunting for treasure.
“Well. Thank you. Merry Christmas to me.” I said when she was done . I had tears in my eyes {because I was laughing so hard.}
“I’m going to get the Doctor.”
Yada yada yada… the dentist had warned me on my last visit I had a tooth that was going to need to be repaired soon. But, since I had just shelled out big bucks for 3 crowns over the summer…. we decided to take a wait and see approach. The hygienist, didn’t know that.
And probably thought I was high on housewife crack because I found it was hilarious that I now had 2 broken teeth.
So. Not only do I get to start January off with maxing out my dental plan… I also get to drop another $1,406.00 into the bottomless money pit I like to refer to as my Crappy British Teeth.
January. It’s going to be AWESOME. Just you wait and see.
~Mavis
More Crappy British teeth stories.
Tia in Boise says
Mavis, I see your giant filling, and it makes me think we are about the same age…..the age that would have us seeing the dentist as a child during the time the philosophy was to carve out a giant part of a cavity-diseased tooth and load it up with silver—thus ensuring the probability that the tooth will break down in our 30’s and 40’s! (Now, they just fill as teeny a part as they can–good for our children…)
I hope you know about Care Credit–a credit card for medical, dental, and vet bills. Depending on the amount of the bill, you can get a “pay it off in 12 months, no interest deal”. That’s coming in handy right now, as I had a root canal yesterday (thanks, filling from the 80’s) and son #2 had 3 fillings day before yesterday and will get his wisdom teeth taken out at the end of January.
Kari says
I’m with you on this one. I have huge silver fillings from childhood, all which crack the teeth out eventually. Aren’t we lucky? I had one crown done this year, and was told to expect more down the road. Aww, aren’t we lucky?
Tracy L. says
Me too, me too. I get to join that awesome club too!! I am constantly breaking my teeth because of such HUGE fillings. I have SO many crowns already, and now a couple months ago I chipped my temporary crown. I HATED that dentist and never went back to him for the permanent crown about 10 yrs ago. So I too will be visiting my dentist this January and shelling out big bucks, and going to my favorite place on earth. (Not). There’s something really not right about having to go to someone that inflicts that much on you and then you have to pay TONS for it!!!!
Deborah from FL says
This comment could have been written by me! Every single line of it. Too funny! 🙂
Kathie S. says
I’m so sorry! I know where you are coming from. I once had a back tooth break apart while eating mashed potatoes.. Everyone at the dinner table was as shocked as I was.
Em says
I’m sorry. 🙁 I’m having some dental work, too. I’ll spare everyone the details, but I’ll be in it with you.
Terri says
I can so appreciate this. I need a bridge to the tune of $2,300 (after dental insurance pays) at last report. We inherited our mother’s teeth instead our father’s great teeth 🙁
Andrea says
I had to laugh at the title as my children tell me it is my two front teeth every year. I ate a lot of lemons especially when pregnant and the acid destroyed the enamel on my front teeth. Then I had my youngest and life got busy. Then we fell on hard times. Fast forward to a few years and I got a quote to finally fix my teeth. A whooping $5000 and a year with bottom braces. Apparently my front teeth were ground down and my bottom teeth grew up to fill the gap. Finally, got the money and getting ready to fix them when I had a heart attack. Now with several heart issues, I can barely find a dentist that will with with me. They all want me off the blood thinners before they will do anything and my heart doc won’t do it. So I am stuck for now with only half my front teeth. I used to hate it but now I have just learned that being alive is better than having perfect teeth.
mdoe37 says
My crown incident was in the middle of November. I was eating something that i LOVE and the dentist told me not to eat. Since I rarely chew on that side, it was never a problem. But the last one in the box, I bit down on that side and it stuck. When I tried to pull my teeth apart, I heard cruuuuunch. I carefully extracted the
MILKDUD with my crown stuck in it.
Within a couple of hours the dentist was able to stick it back in. $19 out of pocket.
I will NEVER EVER eat another milk dud as long as I live.
Mavis Butterfield says
Milk Duds… they are the best. 🙁
Tisha says
Oh, Mavis, I feel your pain. I had a dentist once tell me I was a dental cripple. Part of a crown broke earlier this month so I will be making my own appointment with the dentist in January. One of my favorite things in the whole world is taffy (both saltwater and the banana flavored laffy taffy), alas, no more for me.
Barb says
Not 20 minutes ago I chipped a tooth eating cottage cheese–actually it was a piece of black peppercorn, but it caught my tooth just right. Now I know why I usually like finely ground pepper.
Angela D. says
Sending good vibes your way… into your mouth and wallet! (Maybe this is the time to purchase a lottery ticket?) I’ve been wondering about your “Crappy British Teeth”– as always, thanks for sharing.
Happy Holidays to your family…and Lucy!
Marcia says
oh I feel your pain. After my husband and I both got crowns, and we added a child – so now 4 people needing the dentist at least 2x a year, I upgraded to the cadillac dental plan at work.
I haven’t needed more work, but my husband needed a root canal and crown, and then eventually they pulled the tooth and he’s getting an implant. He’s got the stub right now and will get the tooth next year.
Ruth says
Mavis, I was interested when you got your implants done. I had the extraction, bone graft and implant screw put in and three years later, still cannot afford the last part – the $3250 false tooth that goes on it!!! Does anyone know if this is a normal amount to pay for the abutment and false crown that fits over it? Consequently the top tooth above the implant screw is descending and I now have to wear an Essix retainer (hard plastic retainer) over the top teeth at night!! No help from insurance either, since it is a pre-existing condition now. I keep on seeing ads for “quick and easy and affordable” dental implants, but if I add up the cost of the extraction and bone graft (one surgery) and then the insertion of the implant screw (second surgery), this one tooth will cost the price of a good second hand car!!! And yes, I have the British roadworks fillings, where the middle of the tooth was jack-hammered out and cement poured in and crowns that now need renewing too. Just so grateful I am presently not in any dental pain.
Mavis Butterfield says
Ruth, the next time I go back to the dentist I am going to do a little research and find out how much I have paid out over the last few years. If I remember correctly I had my baby teeth extracted August of 2013, and implants December of 2013. Healing in 2014, more dental work and then 3 crowns this past summer. Good times.
Andrea says
Hi yes, Ruth, for an implant, there’s technically three parts to it– implant, abutment and implant crown. There are 3 separate codes too, according to the ADA (American Dental Association). When I discuss implants with my patients, I always tell them it’s a multi-step procedure and that there are those three components.
Mavis, I do have a question for you– I noticed they planned a sealant on a tooth for you… Mind me asking what their reasoning was?
Ps. I’m a dentist, if you couldn’t already deduce that 🙂
Andrea says
Sorry, misread! $3,250 is an acceptable price for those components. Depends on what part of the country you’re living in too!
Ruth says
Thanks Andrea. I so appreciate dentists, but implants are really, really expensive! Unfortunately I lost the last tooth on my lower jaw, so an implant was the only way to go. Growing up in a former British colony, the dentist fixed my then young, over-crowded mouth by extracting some adult teeth, so I can’t just lose one and have the others fill in at the back. Impacted wisdom teeth are gone too. Mavis, thanks for sharing – this is the real and gritty stuff of life!
Earlene says
My dentist told Mr that mote teeth break eating soft food. Weird!
Deborah from FL says
That is odd. I broke mine on a french fry at a restaurant. The waiter saw it happen. Even so, I felt stupid telling the manager I was eating a French fry. Nothing else. I felt like he thought I was lying. I guess it’s not as unusual as I thought. Thanks for sharing that! 🙂
Pam says
I know your pain. I too have “crappy British teeth” and am having my first of three implants in Feb. (I can’t afford them all at once:(). I also have the metal fillings that are now starting to cause problems too, so I guess I’ll get to know my dentist really well this next few years.
Kimberley says
I also have huge fillings in some of my teeth. Last summer, my daughter and I were camping on the coast near Florence and stopped to buy some salt water taffy. There were two kinds in the assortment, opaque and shiny. The candy maker warned us which ones not to chew as they would stick to our teeth, dental work, etc. I forgot which ones she said and bit into a nice, fresh piece of taffy and a corner of one of my filled teeth was yanked loose! Oops! I still haven’t had it fixed. I am due for a cleaning soon so I guess I better have it done. 🙁
Laura says
Okay, I just have to ask. Are you British? I have never understood the reference since I thought you were from WA area (or thereabouts). Do fill me in though, I clearly need to know, lol!
Deborah from FL says
I was wondering the same thing. 🙂
Java says
I discovered this site looking for potato recipes and growing tips, but imagine my surprise when this post pops up and I can relate to it- well, the upper back teeth, at least.
I’m 27 and am currently suffering my own inherited dental problems (my mother had major surgeries at 16) and both my upper back teeth have broken/decayed past the point of no return. They’re the only ones, thankfully. They have been broken off for 6 months now.
At least the new year will be a fresh start!
Have you looked into oil pulling? (HIGHLY reccomend!)
Thank you so much for your blogging! Looking forward to more and being a new fan!