$44k worth of work waiting

[alittlegrubi]

I just need to get this off my mind, as I am scaring myself thinking about it all and being Sunday can't check with my dentist today

15 months ago I wen to the dentist as I had loose teeth, to the point that one of my front two teeth was at an odd angle. They thought I had periodontal (spelling is probably wrong) gum disease, only after doing the cleans and xrays and gum charting found that it wasn't so much my gums. I have small roots on my teeth and they have since found that I have ground more than 2 mm off my teeth to the point of wearing away the enamel. So I started a treatment which so far has cost me close to $10k. The grinding leads to muscle pain in my neck and shoulders, a sore back and even what feels like sinus pain, so the treatment is well worth the money - even though it is well beyond my financial capabilities to just pay for it.

So after almost 9 months of treatments to get to the point of having the casts etc to finally fix this problem, we were just about to make all the appointments - even though I still had to work out where the hell the money was going to come from to have crowns put on all 28 teeth to correct my bite and stop the grinding then I found out I was pregnant and it all had to stop.

The dentist wouldn't do anything whilst I am pregnant as they don't know what effect the tensing machine has on you. So in the mean time I had a fixed orthotic, which in the past 2 months has all but broken away, they are only meant to last 6 months and it went in a month before conceiving.

The dentist said he wouldn't do anything unless to even replace the orthotic unless my symptoms returned. About a month ago they started to return, but I figured I was this close to having bubs I haven't bothered to contact them. This morning I got up and when brushing my teeth noticed the gap between my front teeth is widening. I'm not sure if it is the relaxin of pregnancy or the grinding or the combination of both, but now I'm getting scared and worried about when I can get the full treatment done.

Actually I am even scared of having the crowns done, but I know if I don't that my teeth will be disgusting and nothing more than stumps in a short period of time.

We had to refinance the mortgage in order to get the $44k it is going to cost to have my teeth done and of course with the interest rates going up it is costing us more and more. I've been wanting to leave the $44k in the offset account for as long as possible, but it looks like I will need to get my teeth done sooner than later. Might even have to use the baby bonus if I have to have another orthotic put in to correct the teeth positions again before having the crowns.

Guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow

Thanks for listening.

[Phteven]

yowsers!!! That's a lot of money!!! I hope that your dentist can help you tomorrow. It might be easier to get it done now rather than when you have a new-born to care for.

[cindyb]

Geepers!
I have worked in dental surgerie that do the kind of work you are talking about and see nthe fab results but that sounds like a hell of alot of money and i hope that they have given you options of prepaying and getting a substantial discount etc.

You are right that being pregnant (all the relaxin) messes with every part of your body - even your teeth and all their connective tissues and ligaments - your gums especially cop it with pregnancy for some reason!

Can I ask??
How many '2nd' opinions did you get??

What sort of crowns are they going to do? I just hope they are planning on using something that will take the brunt of your grinding etc.

Have you tried hypnotherapy for your bruxing/grinding? -seen GREAT results

Been to a Chiropactor who does craniosacral massage? - really helpful and I would say neccessary in this type of dental treatment.

Sorry to be so nosey - i just dont want to be giving the wrong info here!
I have been in the dental game for a while now and am more that happy to even talk to my boss about your case if you like - My boss is a special needs specialist dentist which means we basically see all the patients nobody else wants to coz they go in that to hard basket!

[Olive]

how did you go??? cos as cindy said that a hell of a lot of money!!! i mean i ve seen big dental treatment plans but that seems rediculous!

[Agentmolar]

It might be worth getting a second opinion. Seeing an orthodontist or prosthodontist might not be a bad option. Even the few hundred in consultation fees will be worth getting another opinion before forking out 44K.

An Ortho might be best, because they generally will look at the alignment of your jaw rather than want to cut your teeth up with crowns. Your grinding could be related to a bad bite (malocclusion) and having braces could be a much cheaper and more effective way. The only problem is the short roots, but crowning your teeth wont help them either.

Another possibility is to have your jaw opened with composite buildups that act like a fixed orthotic/ splint. A lecturer of mine in Queensland did a big case study where a man ground away all his teeth to nubs. He built up the front teeth (not the back) with resin. It acted much like the orthotic, but looks like teeth. The fact that you only hit on the front teeth can prevent clenching and grinding and generally reduce the wear. Then the back teeth can either be left to erupt into the bite over time, or be built up to be larger. Ive had some good results with this, but its not for everyone and its not a cure all. The short roots on your front teeth may also make this treatment a poor option as well.

If your dentist is an LVI dentist, definitely get a second opinion. Their views are a bit controversial, and it cant hurt to get more info.

Good luck and I hope you get a good outcome soon.

[Lulu]

Ow WOW! There is some great advice in here, good luck with everything xoxoxxo