Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dentist

Superficial Dentistry

boots — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:15:30 -0800

Help me find a dentist in NYC with an office on a high floor of a classic skyscraper. I need to find a dentist, and the most important criteria is that their office have an awesome view. I've read that during the depression, desperate landlords signed cheap 99-year leases with dentists to carry them through the lean times, and that many of them survive today in Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, the Woolworth Building, etc. If my dentist had an over-the-top art-deco lobby and 85th-story views, it wouldn't be such a drag going twice a year.

So far I found these guys Empire State Dental who are on the 52nd floor of the Empire State and seem sufficiently cornball. This blog entry has photos of the view from a 69th floor dentist office in the Chrysler Building, but doesn't identify the dentist. Anybody know who that might be?

I'm grateful for any additional suggestions.

What does one say to a generous gift from a dentist?

neewom — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:35:56 -0800

How do I thank my dentist for going above and beyond? My dentist has given me an extremely generous gift - not only has he fixed a number of dental problems, but he has shown amazing empathy and care, and has decided to clear my $5000+ debt.

Due to a string of unfortunate events this year, including losing my job and then losing UI benefits, I have been struggling to pay my bills while I continue to look for a job. This afternoon, I got a voicemail saying simply, "Call the office... I have talked things over with Dr. ___ and, Merry Christmas, we have decided to clear what you owe." When I called back, I was close to tears (and I don't normally cry outside extreme circumstances).

I consider him and his staff to be more family than mere dental pros, but saying that in a letter... Everything I can come up with to say in a letter sounds trite to me, and unsuitable.
I do plan to write a letter but also plan to show up and give the man and his staff huge hugs... but what can I say? I suck at letters anyway, but this is extremely important to me. Will a simple "thank you" be enough? What sort of things should I avoid?

My root canal... it tickles?

raztaj — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:18:52 -0800

What is this sensation I'm feeling after getting a root canal? I had a root canal on a molar exactly three weeks ago. Some of the alveolar bone between the roots had been lost, but when I went back to the dentist today to have a post put in, the x-ray indicated it was healing extremely well, and showed "significant" bone restoration - (way cool, and yay!).

But every now and then I feel a slight tingly (not painful, not sensitive, not uncomfortable), almost fizzy feeling under the tooth in question. It sort of feels like tiny seltzer bubbles, but the feeling lasts only 1-4 seconds. I don't feel it every day, but when it does happen, it's usually in bursts of a few times an hour. I forgot to ask the dentist about it since I haven't had the feeling for several days, doesn't cause any discomfort, and doesn't appear to be indicative of any post-root canal problems.

What is this sensation? What is causing the fizzy feeling? Might the feeling have something to do with bone growth? Is it even possible to feel bone growth?

When Root Canals Fail...

k8lin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:39:02 -0800

I had a root canal two months ago and now have pain in that tooth. I am supposed to have the crown put on tomorrow. Should I wait to have the crown procedure started? I am supposed to have the first part of my crown procedure done tomorrow (they will file the tooth and put on a temporary crown). I went to the dentist - a different dentist than the one I had that ordered the root canal; I had a root canal and then moved to a new city - two days ago with tooth pain and she didn't seem to think that the pain was coming from the tooth that I had the root canal on but from a different tooth entirely. She did something to my teeth that involved grinding them down (the teeth on my lower jaw, the root canal was on an upper tooth) to correct my bite and that seemed to relieve the pain temporarily but now it's back. It is a dull ache, not a throbbing, searing, or sharp pain. It's just kind of annoying at this point. Sometimes it tastes a bit weird and maybe metallic, but I do not have any metallic fillings, so I'm not sure if that is psychosomatic or what.

After waiting a few days, I am now certain that it is the tooth that I had the root canal procedure done on that hurts. I am worried that the root canal is failing and that putting a crown on is a bad idea. I currently have a temporary filling. I will discuss this with my dentist tomorrow when I go in for the crown, but I wanted an opinion from someone who was not my dentist as well. I also wanted to have some information before I go in because it's a high-pressure situation with money involved and I am worried about making a choice under stress in the heat of the moment, so to speak.

I do not currently have dental insurance. It cost over $100 to see this dentist in the first place for the pain, and I don't think I can afford to go to another dentist for a second opinion and pay for the crown (over $1000), especially if I also end up needing a second root canal on this tooth. I found this dentist through several recommendations from friends and I don't know how I would even go about finding another one for a second opinion. If people agree that a second opinion is what I need, I will do my best to get one.

Also, if the root canal fails, what do they do? Do they just pull the tooth, or try to perform another root canal on it?

Help. I'm a pansy.

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:04:31 -0800

This is so shameful. I haven't seen a dentist since 2005. I've always been terrified of the dentist, but now it's been more than four years. When I finally go again, it will be so much worse. My teeth hurt sometimes, so I probably have cavities. What if I need a root canal? And the scraping! I know this sounds stupid, but for me, the scraping is the worst part. It's the way it sounds and the way it feels. It's not just the stabbing my gums with metal hooks, which novocaine helps... nothing helps the scraping.

So I can't go on like this, things will just get worse and worse. I have to go. I tried googling to find a sedation dentist... I feel so paralyzed by anxiety. I got nowhere.

Here are my conisderations. MetaFilter, please help me get this done. You are far more rational than I am and I need someone's objective, unemotional guidance.

Nutshell:

I need to see a dentist. I need a cleaning and to figure out if I have cavities, and if I do, I need to have them treated. I don't know what else I might need.

I do not have dental insurance. I do not have any money. I'm living without a cushion right now. My parents said they would pay for a visit to the dentist as a birthday present, but there is a limit to what I can ask them to pay.

Because of the financial constraints, I feel like I have to get it right the first time. If I go to a dentist who does a bad job, I will be stuck with it. This contributes to my anxiety and paralysis.

Sedation dentistry seems perfect but incredibly expensive. Do I need to accept that this is not an option for me right now, or are there reasonably-priced sedation dentists who are also reliable and good?

I'm in NYC.

I don't want to go, but I should. Help me find a dentist and help me get over my fear.

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:39:03 -0800

I'm scared of going to the dentist. How do I find one that will understand and how do I prepare myself for going to my first appointment in years? Hi. I'm a 20-something woman who is coming to terms with the fact that I need to go to the dentist. It's been several years. I take very good care of my teeth, but I recognize that some problems may develop and that it would be better to prevent rather than fix. The problem is that I'm really scared.

My experience with dentists is not very good. I had a terrible experience with a dentist who lost his temper with me on my first visit as a 4 year old. He yelled at me and made me cry. After that, I went to a children's dentist and they also yelled at me, routinely left me alone in the chair for up to an hour at a time and did not seem to care about my comfort or pain levels. It seems every dentist I've had at some point ridiculed or yelled at me or caused me undue pain or neglect when it could have been prevented. I do not consider myself to be a coward and have been though surgery, routine doctor visits and many other procedures without any problems at all. It is just my extreme negative interactions with dentists that have caused me to stay away all these years.

So how do I find someone who cares? What is reasonable to ask about when you call to make an appointment? I don't feel I can outright ask, "Is Dr. Dentist a patient man/woman who will not yell at or mock me?" I live in a small town and I don't think there is sedation dentistry here. I do not know many people here to ask for recommendations. Is it reasonable to want to meet the dentist beforehand? What about the hygenists? I could have the best dentist in the world, but if his or her hygentist is not also compassionate, then what to do? They seem to spend the most time with patients on routine visits.

Assuming I find the best dentist ever, I also need help in learning how to prepare mentally. I have developed a score of phobias around the dentist. I have an extreme aversion to the grinding of teeth, which usually happens if they are moist and have toothpaste or some kind of cleaning agent on them. I dislike the vaccuum used to vaccuum out fluid and often wish that I were in control or could just spit and rinse it all out myself. I don't like being left alone in the chair. Finally, I also have an extremely powerful gag reflex that is easily triggered (probably why I hate that vaccuum thing).

So how do I cope with those things? Is there anything I can do to get over them or prevent them from happening? Is any dentist going to take those concerns seriously? If I had to rank them in terms of terror, I would put gagging as 1, grinding teeth as 2, vaccuum thing as 3 and being left alone as 4. I don't think I care as much about pain.

I recognize that I have a lot of issues, but would like to avoid therapy if at all possible. I did see this question (http://ask.metafilter.com/114191/How-can-I-find-a-dentist-who-is-good-with-terrified-patients) and it helped, but I have some specific issues I need to address and wanted to know about coping. Please help if you can.

Throwaway e-mail address: askme.scaredofthedentist@gmail.com

TIA!

Great dentists in San Francisco?

needs more cowbell — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:21:18 -0800

Good dentists in San Francisco? Specific needs/neuroses inside. I haven't been to a dentist in far too long, partly out of fear and partly out of being pretty deeply squicked out by the thought of tooth decay. I have no idea what kind of shape my mouth is in currently. I think I can get over the dental phobia, but now my worry is that I'll end up with a dentist who sees dollar signs instead of being objective, or otherwise won't do a fantastic job with any work I need done.

I've heard of people having problems where:
1) dentists see cavities/drill where it isn't absolutely necessary (and I'm acutely aware that once you drill into a tooth, that bit of tooth is gone forever and possibly more open to decay in the long term around a filling)
2) dentists don't fully remove decay, and then teeth rot from the inside out beneath fillings

I think the only way to know if a particular dentist is good in these respects is to get a recommendation from someone who's been going to the same dentist for a long time. So, SF-area mefites, can you recommend anyone good? Other factors are:

-I don't want any hard selling of tooth whitening or cosmetic procedures. My concern is ONLY that my teeth be in the best possible shape from a health/longevity standpoint. (And I'm totally willing to do whatever is necessary in terms of flossing or waterpiking or deep-cleaning or newfangled technology to get my teeth in great shape.)
-I need a dentist who will be kind/gentle with me (mentally/emotionally) and not make me feel shitty about having put this off. I have a bizarre tendency to equate dental decay with being disgusting and having some huge moral failing.
-And lastly (but less important than the above), I'd like someone who's good about pain management and physical comfort. Sedation is not necessary, though.

If you'll all indulge me, I'd love to hear how any particular dentist you recommend ranks on each of the above things - quality of the work in the long term (over/underdrilling), hard sell of cosmetic stuff, kindness, general savvyness to ways to help my teeth be in great shape, and pain management.

I don't have dental insurance, so that's not a factor. While it would be nice to find someone who gives a discount for paying cash, my absolute #1 priority is the quality of the dentist's work and how comfortable I will feel mentally and physically.

Whew. I'm finally (sort of) dealing with this. Thanks in advance!

Recommend a sedation dentist in the southern twin cities

TheClonusHorror — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:03:03 -0800

Recommend someone who specializes in sedation dentistry in the Twin Cities (and hopefully close or close-ish to Eagan). I'm a huge wuss ... with gingivitis. I need a dentist but have had several bad experiences in a row. If you know of a dentist who is kind and sympathetic to nervous peeps like me and does sedation, please halp.

Can you recommend a great dentist in Toronto?

maudlin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:18:01 -0800

Can anyone recommend a great or really good dentist in Toronto? I've seen a few names mentioned in related AskMe questions over the past couple of years, but I'd like to know if these people are still recommended or if anyone else is worth checking out. I get cavities very rarely, but I may need some fillings replaced over the next few years. All I really need now are regular checkups and cleaning, although I am considering a bridge and potentially a referral to an orthodontist for braces in the future. So I'm looking for a good all-around dentist who knows their stuff and can clearly communicate with me.

Porcelain or MetalFilter

PhoBWanKenobi — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:43 -0800

How bad is tooth sensitivity from gold inlays? I just got the bad news from my dentist that, despite brushing and flossing daily (really, I'm a nerd about flossing!), I need a whole bunch of cavities filled. Several of these are on teeth with existing fillings, on which he wants to place inlays.

I have the option of either getting gold or porcelain inlays. I actually kind of like the idea of having gold in my teeth; I'm not terribly bothered by the aesthetic aspect, since they're back molars that already have silver amalgam fillings in them. And gold fillings would cost about fifty dollars less a tooth after insurance--which, considering the inlays are going to cost around five hundred dollars each, isn't a huge savings, but it's still a nice dinner out.

This previous ask.metafilter post suggests that gold fillings are superior in most aspects except for aesthetics (again, not a concern) and sensitivity. Back then, a mefite described a gold crown as "exquisitely cold-sensitive." I already have some sensitivity in these teeth because of the caries, but, well, I love a nice hot tea. And ice pops in the summer! Do you have any experiences with gold inlays and tooth sensitivity? Is it really so bad that I'd be better getting porcelain, despite issues with wear and fragility, and despite the fact that I find the idea of gold teeth to be sort of wickedly awesome?

3 years of pain, 5 thousand dollars, and my teeth are worse than when I started...

dejah420 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:21:20 -0800

Dentist filter: How to manage being unhappy with the results of braces? Teeth not straight, discolored, and full mouth retainer causing panic attacks. A few years ago, I got braces because I didn't like my bottom teeth. The dentist wanted to correct my overbite, which didn't bother me, but he said was important to fixing the overall health of my teeth. He also wanted to fix the gap between my front teeth, which had gotten larger with time.

Now I've had the braces off for about two months, and a month ago the dentist gave me a "full mouth" retainer, which is like something boxers wear when they fight...in that if you have it in, you can't talk, eat, drink, etc. It has these little metal prongs in it that grab your teeth when you put it on, that happen to hit where I have crowns, so when I take it off, it's pulling on the crowns.

I'm supposed to wear this thing for 4 hours a day, plus at night. I can't wear it at night, because when I've tried, I have massive panic attacks about not being able to breathe, and I almost pulled out my teeth trying to get it out of my mouth. It was horrible.

Finding time in the day when I don't talk has been tricky, but I have managed to find time to wear it, even though I'm concerned about losing my crowns...which will cost as much as the braces if I have to get them all replaced.

Despite all of this, my teeth look worse now than before I started. My teeth are seriously crooked again, layering on top of one another in a way they never did before, the top spacing is atrocious and I'm embarrassed to open my mouth or smile. They're dingy and yellow from the braces, there's still bits of epoxy (or whatever they use to etch your teeth and then attach the brackets) everywhere, despite having them cleaned 3x in the last month, I've got a ton of pits, brown spots, and cavities now where the bands were, and all in all, I feel like I paid 5k to make my teeth worse.

When I took my son to the pediatric dentist last week, and she told me that he was going to need braces when he got older and I told her that I'd just gotten mine off, you should have seen the look of horror on her face when she looked at my teeth. Her first comment was "He's not an orthodontist, is he?".

I didn't know that general dentists could do ortho work without being orthodontists, I thought it was required specialist qualification, but apparently in Texas, it does not. Any dentist can do it.

I have an appointment to see the dentist this morning, it's the first time I could get in since getting the retainer...what is the best way to approach what I see as radical problems with the treatment I've received, and what solutions should I ask him to undertake?

Removing plaque without a visit to The Chair

caveat — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:59:12 -0800

My question is two fold: is there a product on the market that can remove or at least loosen hardened plaque on the teeth? And, is there any actual damage being done to my teeth by just leaving the plaque there? I have plaque build-up on the back of a few of my bottom teeth. Nothing is visible from the front. Last time I went to the dentist he told me I had to schedule a deep cleaning to get it off. That was, um... some time ago.

I brush regularly, floss and sometimes use mouthwash. I didn't take great care of my teeth in my school days but they are pretty healthy now, aside form this.

I am both broke and terrified of the dentist, due to my apparent tolerance to Novocaine (when I get work done, I have to get shots in the nerve. This really, really hurts. BAD.) and the general unpleasantness of it all, so I'm trying to avoid going in.

One pill makes you smaller, and one pill makes you normal...

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:18:24 -0800

Is off label use of Beta Blockers for me? Will a doctor I've seen once be willing to prescribe a short supply? I'm a healthy male in my mid twenties. I'm getting back into dating seriously for the first time in a couple years, and I find myself getting more nervous than I've ever been for anything. I realize it's silly, and I think it'll go away. In the meantime though, I've got a second date with a woman I'm really interested in and I'd like to control the heart pounding (in a bad way), sweating, shaking, and nausea which ultimately will lead to slightly too much drinking and a touch of *verbal* diarrhea.
I have insurance, but not a regular PCP. There's a small family run clinic/doc in the box I went to a couple months ago for completely unrelated issues. If I go to the same doc and explain my situation, will they be likely to help with some sort of temporary pharmacological stopgap?
Nothing like this has ever happened before, and I really do think it'll go away, so therapy feel unnecessary and time consuming.
Will pills help, can I get them, or am I barking up the wrong tree entirely?

Dental Insurance Waiting Period Details

stewiethegreat — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:14:54 -0800

Another Dental Insurance Question: My Delta Dental starts on Sept. 1st, but they won't cover fillings until Mar. 1. What happens if I have a filling done before Mar. 1? Obviously, they're not going to cover it, but would I still be able to get Delta's negotiated rate with my dentist? Would Delta pay the dentist and then invoice me to reimburse them? Would I be making life unreasonably difficult for my dentist if I did it this way?

Thanks!

Removing molar and wisdom tooth in STL

lizarrd — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:14:30 -0800

Need to get molar and wisdom tooth removed in STL without any insurance. Know of any good cost-effective places to go/Any good ideas? So, my girlfriend is willing to help me lose this molar that's pretty much been causing me pain. I don't have the money to get rid of it otherwise and there's this wisdom tooth that's been causing me pain as well. Can an oral surgeon do both or should I visit both a dentist AND an oral surgeon? Anyways, yeah, in STL any good suggestions for cost-effective measures for this sort of thing? Also, I would much rather be out of it/ have it be painless, for most of it. I hate going to the dentist, even those I love.

Wheelchair-friendly dentists in DC area

LobsterMitten — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:05:21 -0800

Wheelchair-friendly dentist in the Washington DC area (Montgomery County MD if possible)? A dear friend of mine is in his 70s and uses a power wheelchair. He has some arm strength, but he has no leg muscles and has a big belly, so he's easily thrown off balance when transferring from the wheelchair to the dentist chair. Recently he had a really bad fall when the dental assistant tried misguidedly to "help" him transfer -- she basically shoved him off balance and he fell full force. No apology from her or the dentist, who he's been seeing for 35 years.

He's looking for a different dentist's office where they may be more aware of wheelchair issues. I don't know if there are special arrangements where he could stay in his chair? Or just any office where they are more with-it about this.

Less than a Filling.

I, Slobot — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:22:13 -0800

How careful do I need to be with eating and brushing around a large temporary filling from a root canal in progress? Had my first ever root canal today (Yippee!). I had neglected a fractured tooth and then the pain became unbearable in the last week. I don't have a good track record of regular dental visits and it'd been a while. The dentist was great when I went in yesterday to get it examined. He said there was an infection and I needed to get it taken care of ASAP, so he got me in today to start the root canal. I will be going back for a second visit to finish the process.

The procedure itself was intense as I didn't know what to expect and the infection was, apparently, pretty bad. I left in a daze with a numb face and a prescription for Vicoden and without much instruction from the Dentist on caring for the large temporary filling.

So my question is, should I avoid chewing on that side of my mouth? If so, for how long? (I won't be going back for three weeks due to the Doc going on vacation) Can I brush like normal and use mouthwash? What other precautions should I take, if any?

(Tooth in question is my second molar on the bottom right)

Quick dental aesthetics-fix in NYC?

pearl228 — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:38:06 -0800

Top-notch dentist or prosthodontist in NYC to fix small chip on front tooth asap. In short, would you please recommend a top-notch dentist or prosthodontist (prosthodontist because I need to see one for a consult anyway) who gets aesthetics and is smart (i.e., sophisticated, would not ever be responsible for chiclet smiles)? An understanding of subtlety is an absolute must. Details below:

-----------------------------------------------
Chipped my left front tooth last night while kissing the boyfriend. It is a small chip, but about as big as the notch between the two front teeth - so, aesthetically upsetting to me.

I'm 23 and my smile has been basically perfect forever. The miniscule imperfections it shows have been, up til now, attractive net/net. But this one needs fixing right away.

I don't have a dentist in new york at the moment, and don't want to risk messing up my smile by going to someone who is going to file down the edge of the tooth or provide clunky bonding. (Bonding would be okay if it'd fix a blemish this small and be unnoticeable - I'm not sure what method is best to fix this, so any suggestions on the method/materials commonly used to repair a super fine, smooth edge of a front tooth (upper incisor I guess) would also be appreciated.) Thank you!! :)

Chip off the ol' molar

Riki tiki — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:00:53 -0800

How worried should I be about my chipped tooth? So I found this previous question, which is almost tailor-made to my situation as of tonight. I'll be following the "don't sweat it, maybe get some over-the-counter temporary filling" advice from that thread, so I'm less panicked about that than I was earlier tonight.

However, I am concerned about why it chipped. There was no impact, no particularly hard food that caused it. I was just flossing back there, felt a little snag and assumed it was a piece of food, and came back instead with two prongs of my top right molar. I have no pain or anything like that and my teeth look more or less fine, but is it possible that the looks are deceiving and my teeth are about to fall out en masse due to some unnoticed systemic decay?

I exaggerate a bit, but I am troubled. I'm currently without dental insurance, haven't been to a dentist in two+ years, and not in an awesome financial position to have to take on a bunch of medical bills.

Do I need to bite the bullet (not literally) and make an appointment even if it means my credit cards will have to wait a while longer to be paid off? Or is this something I can put a band-aid on (not literally) and postpone until I hopefully find a job with dental benefits in the nearish future?

Can someone recommend a good oral surgeon/and or place to get wisdom teeth removed in Bangkok?

bertrandom — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:12:19 -0800

Can someone recommend a good oral surgeon/and or place to get wisdom teeth removed in Bangkok? My girlfriend needs to get her wisdom teeth removed and we figured since we're close to Thailand it would be cheaper to do it here. Has anyone ever done this before, and could you recommend the person that did it? Or do you have anything to say that would dissuade us from going down that route. We're not really planning on going to down to some sketchy place on Khao San Road, but part of the idea is to save money compared to the States.

Like I Need Another Hole In My Head.

The Whelk — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:01:15 -0800

No Insurance-Filter: I suspect I need some minor dental work done, where can I get it done cheaply and quickly in NYC? Caveat: No Insurance, but some savings. I've heard horror stories about NYU Dental school, but I've gone to Dental Schools for cleanings and minor work all through childhood without a problem (No Cavities! ever!), is it really that bad?

Anyone know a decent dentist in the metro area or know where I can find one?

help.

Anonymous — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:17:50 -0800

My teeth are bad. Really bad. Totally rotted in the back, cavities in most of the surviving ones. I need help. This stated after going though emotional trauma in my late childhood, early adolescence. And in an attempt to gain some control over my life, I totally and completely neglected my teeth (I know it doesn't make sense, but personal and family issues manifested themselves in this weird way). I feel so stupid, embarrassed, so regretful for this, but I can't go back. I desperately want to have my teeth fixed - to feel good, not in pain, ease in eating, and maybe feel better about myself.

Are there any services in the Boston area that will help me, and help with the costs? (I am just out of school, and looking for a job, do not have a lot of savings).

I am tired of living like this and really need some help. Any thoughts, directions, or services you can point me to would be really really really appreciated.

is my dentist a quack?

Jason and Laszlo — Sun, 10 May 2009 20:07:25 -0800

My tooth cracked. Is it my dentist's fault? (bonus question: is it causing my tonsillitis??) I had a filling in my tooth. Several months passed and the dentist had to replace the filling with a new one. Now, the tooth feels cracked. Is my dentist a bad dentist? Is this his fault or is this a normal complication for a filling?

Bonus question: too much googling and hypochondria has led me to believe that my untreated cracked tooth has become infected (although not painful) and is causing swollen tonsils. Is this correlation accurate? Has this happened to you? (yes I have a doctor's appointment scheduled).

Papa Needs a Brand New Crown

theefixedstars — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:39:16 -0800

Dental filter: I just visited a dentist who told me that I chipped one of my molars and that I'd need a crown for it. He said that since I'm not really having pain associated with it (it's a little sensitive, but that's it) I don't need to have a root canal. Is getting a crown instead of a root canal wise? He said that it's possible I may need to get a root canal down the line, but after looking at my x-ray and talking to me about pain, that it wasn't necessary at this point. He said if I had come in complaining about pain that he would have recommended the root canal first. Of course, now the affected molar is piping up with a song that sounds suspiciously like pain.

I don't have dental insurance, and while paying for crown and root canal (both ~ $1,200 each) over an extended period would be possible, it would also be painful (I'm moving in a month and a half to a place where I currently have no prospect of getting a job with any dental benefits).

Is this a common procedure, the crown without the canal? I know you are not dentists, not my dentist, etc., but I'm searching for similar stories and helpful wisdom. I thank you, my molar thanks you, my softly aching jaw thanks you.

Can you recommend a dentist in or around Astoria Queens?

JulianDay — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:16:30 -0800

Can you recommend a dentist in or around Astoria Queens? I live in Astoria but I can always take the train into Manhattan.

I don't have dental insurance so I'd prefer someone who isn't too pricey but that's not my primary concern.

I'm looking for a friendly dentist. I haven't been in a few years and while I don't have any pain, I wouldn't be shocked if I have some cavities, I'm afraid I've ground down a tooth, etc. so I'm probably looking a multiple visit situation and while I don't really mind going to the dentist, I do feel guilty about how long it's been and don't want to be scolded by some I'm-gonna-be-mean-to-you-for-your-own-sake dentist.